Paths Crossed
by superprincesspea
Summary: While out hunting Daryl comes across a stranger and decides to help her despite his better judgement and they begin on their journey together. (Daryl Dixon, Original Character, Friendship, Romance, Zombies, Adventure, smut, violence, profanity) story begins season 4, canon.
1. Chapter 1

The woods were quiet, empty and Daryl was having no luck in picking up the trail of any game. He was tired of chasing squirrels which would only provide a few measly morsels for the group. Today he had decided he wanted to bring back something more, a deer or a boar. It had been weeks since the last time. Daryl would never admit it but he liked the way it made him feel when he walked into camp with feast of meat slung over his shoulder. The way people looked at him, admired him. In the world before the walkers he was nobody but here he was a _hero_. Daryl scoffed at the thought of the word as it crossed his mind. _Merle would slap me silly if I'd have uttered it_ "what do I care about being a hero?" he growled. _God I'm going soft._

Daryl made his way over to a tree and leaned against it, kicking his feet in the dirt he plucked his pack of smokes out of his back pocket. _Only two left_ , he thought and decided he'd have to make his way into some town for a run tomorrow. That was getting more and more difficult, he and the others had picked most of the towns and everything in between pretty much clean. He lit the cigarette and took a long drag as he leaned his head back against the tree. Closing his eyes he let the beams of sun that were breaking through the leafy canopy above warm his face.

Daryl was lost in the relaxation that the cigarette had brought when he heard a noise, _a voice_. 'Heelp', it was a woman's voice. Daryl stood to attention and listened intently to decipher where the calls were coming from. When he had decided the direction he paused _stay or go_. This was the way of the world now, a cry for help could be a trap or a herd of walkers which could over run him. _Fuck it_ he decided as he ran towards where the calls had emerged. _Every good hero needs to rescue the girl_ he laughed to himself as he pictured some fantasy girl out of the posters that had strewn his walls as a teenager.

Daryl started to hear the sounds of a struggle so slowed his pace and silenced his steps. He was approaching from high ground, there was a ridge ahead of him that would provide cover. He reached it and lay on his belly as he peaked of the rim. It was a small camp, nothing notable except for the scene that was unfurling. Two men and a woman.

One of the men had his hand clamped over the woman's mouth as he tried to force himself on her 'quiet now bitch' he grunted at her. The other man looked about for walkers that might have heard the noise 'shut her up!' he called out anxiously. Daryl began to ready his weapon, _pieces of shit_ he decided. As he was aiming his shot the woman had grabbed a rock, she drove it into the man's skull twice. The other turned to react but was met with Daryl's arrow which flew straight and true into his skull.

* * *

Kate couldn't believe she had been so stupid and careless. She was paying for it now, being dragged to _god knows where._ When they had grabbed her they had forced a hood over her head and bound her arms behind her back. There were _only_ two of them she had decided in the car journey as she convinced herself she may still get away. It was a pointless task, now she was out of the car being pulled along in the wilderness. She lost her footing now and then but they just yanked her up hard and laughed as they made lewd comments that made her feel sick. Of all that had happened since 'the end' this felt like the worse.

When her hood was removed she started to get her bearings "do as we say and you'll live" the fat one said as he held a gun to her face. The other came up behind her and shoved her to her knees. This man was smaller than the other and he had a long scar across his face. He leered at her "Don't try nothin' stupid, sweetheart" and she recoiled from his black teeth and terrible breath. He freed her hands, cutting the cable tie with a knife and then he placed his hands on her shoulders. Kate shuddered and pulled away from his grasp "don't do this" she implored but she already knew it was too late.

The scar faced man began to push her to the ground and she screamed as loud as she could, he hit her then. "Heelp" she cried. Kate didn't care who heard, alive or dead. The man put his hand over her mouth and she struggled, he had a look of panic in his eyes. Things weren't going to plan. "Maybe I should just shoot her" the fat man growled as he looked around the camp. But the other man shook his head and told her to "just take it". _Screw you_ she shouted in her head and began to look around for anything that could help her and then she saw it, a rock.

The fat man was busy looking for walkers as the other tried to pry off her skinny jeans with one hand. Kate stretched her arm to grab the rock. Her fingertips were just skirting the edges, gently nudging it closer. The man was saying something to her but she couldn't hear the words in her panic. Terror was beginning to grip her and she urged herself to calm down. Taking a deep breath Kate willed her arm to reach further and suddenly she had the rock in hand. She looked into the face of the scar faced man and caught a glint of something in his eye and then it was gone as she wasted no time in bringing her justice down on her attackers head.

The sound of the rock on her assailant's skull satisfied her, his blood began to pour and she went for the second strike. His hand released her mouth and she shouted "bastard". Then she remembered the other man, he was turning towards her, _shit_ , she panicked. Then something extraordinary happened. She saw as the arrow pierced his ugly face and he crumpled to the floor. _What the hell?_

Kate regained her senses and shook the body off herself. Standing up she began to look for the shooter. _Who was this person_ she began to wonder. She couldn't see anyone or sense any movement; she picked up the gun off the fat man's body and called out "show yourself".

* * *

Daryl hid out of site after he fired the shot, he still hadn't really decided his next move. He watched the woman climb from under the corpse. She wasn't some big titted, long legged blonde he'd imagined. She was small with dark hair and a sort of wild look on her face. She picked up the gun and called out for him to 'show himself', she sounded strange, her accent was foreign but at the same time it was familiar. "Don't shoot" he shouted before he had really finished deciding his next move. Although he was fairly sure she wouldn't shoot him anyway, he'd saved the woman after all hadn't he. A satisfied smirk crossed his face as he showed himself.

* * *

The man came out of the bushes with his arms outstretched above his head and a faint smile on his face 'don't shoot' he called, toying with her. He made his way down the muddy slope with as much finesse as was possible. Then they stood 10 feet from each other at an impasse. _Who was this stranger? Friend or Foe? He saved her life but for what?_ A million questions raced through her mind as she studied him. He looked strong, much more so than the two men who had captured her. He batted his hair out of his eyes and lowered his hands to his sides. Kate noted his weapons of which there were many. Finally she said "Thank you" and she meant it. The stranger did a sort of half smile and before he could say anything she continued "you didn't have to do that, come here, fight these men, you _might_ have saved my life just now"

"Might have?" Daryl chuckled. Maybe she wasn't some damsel in distress.

"I wasn't doing too bad on my own if you didn't noticed, but thanks anyway" she paused and then decided to introduce herself properly "I'm Kate"

"Daryl Dixon" he stated, he couldn't tell whether she was glad he was here or pissed off that she'd needed his help.

Kate laughed inwardly; it sounded so formal, the giving of a full name. The she looked around the camp, there wasn't much, "I'm just gonna take a couple of things and you can have the rest" she offered as she began to gather some things in the fat man's back pack. It was her way of repaying Daryl Dixon, she didn't need this stuff anyway. Once she got back to her car she would have everything she required and would be back on her way. _Hopefully it's still there, where ever that is_ she contemplated.

Daryl watched Kate intently as she picked through the belongings of the two dead men. Up closer he could study her features more thoroughly; she was attractive, but not stunning. She had big brown eyes like a doe and she was small in every sense of the word, slender and little bigger than five feet high. His mind wandered and he imagined this little doe slung over his shoulder as he made his way into camp and he let out a soft chuckle. Then Daryl plucked his last cigarette out of his pocket and lit it.

"I have a group" he took another drag of his smoke "women, children, families, ya welcome to join us" he offered in a raspy voice. He'd done this a few times now, found people and brought them back to the sanctuary of the prison. They could be there in a couple of hours. But the offer seemed to catch her off guard and she turned round to look at him. "I have to ask ya 3 questions first" he began, but before he could continue he was interrupted.

"No thank you… I'm okay on my own" Kate said casually, she didn't want to offend the man but she'd been part of groups before and had no interest in joining another. Besides which she wasn't so sure she trusted this Daryl Dixon. She'd had men _befriend_ her before.

 _Is she crazy?_ Daryl wondered. Who would want to be out here alone… besides himself? But that was different he decided, he was only out here to gather supplies, he liked returning to camp and bolting the gate behind. "I can't just leave ya out here" his voice cracked slightly as he said it, he was unsure why he had even suggested it. Yet he continued "let me at least take ya to ya car". He walked towards Kate as she mulled over his suggestion, "I'll take ya to your car and you can drop me off at my camp".

Kate watched Daryl as he made his proposition. He seemed almost unsure of himself which made her trust him more, besides he had done nothing to make her questions his motives so far. She looked out into the vast expanse of trees and dirt for an answer that wasn't there, in this world there were no easy answers. So she went with her gut. "Okay Daryl Dixon, you can escort me to my car" she nodded and tossed him a pack of cigarettes she had found in the campsite.

The hunter caught them easily and stuffed them into his pocket. "Just promise me you're not crazy and that I won't regret this" Kate added with a faint smile.

Daryl gave a cocky half smile, "cross my heart" _little doe_ he added in his mind but he wasn't sure why.


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl seemed to be making quick work of following the trail that Kate and her captures had left in the woods, he was confident it would lead them all the way out to the truck that had brought her here. So he led the way and she followed, they remained silent but it wasn't uncomfortable. In part because she sensed that Daryl was a man of action and not words.

Kate watched her guide as he glided through the woodlands, silently and surefooted. In contrast she felt like she was stepping on every twig and stumbling over every log and the sound seemed to resonate. It was obvious to her that he was in his element in this forest, the way he carried his crossbow made it look like it was an extension of his arm. His broad shoulders never faltering with its weight.

"We're nearly there, I can see a road" Daryl called to her in a hushed tone. Kate smiled at him but her heart was beginning to race, it would be dark in a couple of hours and she didn't like to be out at night. She had her ritual, a set of established rules that she had adapted over time. This included never being out after dark.

Kate had taken to sleeping in her car. First she would find a place to park it, making sure she reversed in so she could flee at the first sign of trouble. Next she would cover the windows of her car with some pieces of cardboard and fabric she had fashioned so that the dead couldn't see in. Then she would read as long as the light allowed and when it got too dark she would sleep or at least try to. Her routine was nothing glamorous and it was incredibly boring but it served a purpose.

* * *

Daryl glanced back every now and again at his new companion, she seemed to flinch at every noise the woods offered which made him smirk. _City girl_ he mused. Before long he could see that the beginning of their journey was nearly over as they reached the road. He stood on the tarmac and glanced about for the truck that had brought Kate here, when he saw part of it poking out from behind a bush he nodded towards it and started to light a cig. "We made it" he gestured and then asked "Where ya from anyway?"

"England originally" Kate answered as she ran over to the vehicle and climbed in the driver's seat, she hadn't found any keys at the camp sight and hoped that they had been stored in the car itself. She checked all the usual hiding places then located them in the glove box. "Thank god" she let out a sigh of relief as she put the key in the ignition. Daryl was half sat on the bonnet of the car finishing his cigarette and looking at the sky.

 _Should I just go?_ Kate asked herself and eyed Daryl thoughtfully. But she took too long deciding and Daryl climbed into the seat next to her. "Where we goin now?" he rasped.

"I think the place was called Sunny Side" she remembered the name because it had made her think of toy story 3 which she had unashamedly been to see at the cinemas with two of her friends. People who were probably long gone now…

"Right… let's go then" Daryl said bringing her out of her reverie.

Kate pulled the car out of its hiding place and onto the road, _left or right_ she wondered biting her lip in concentration. "I don't know the way" she admitted releasing the breath she had been holding and slumping into the chair, "I'm not from around here like I said… I thought maybe you would know"

Kate looked at him with those big round eyes and Daryl scoffed, "don't know any sunny side" He could see her disappointment at his words. "Look if it's a car ya want, ya can keep this'n" then he added "come wi me to my camp we can give ya some supplies"

"I don't want to take supplies from _your_ people" she snapped a little harsher than she was meaning to. "I want… _my_ things" Kate could feel the tears start to prick at her eyes so she turned away from him to try and compose herself. _Calm down, stop being ridiculous_ she chastised herself but in truth she was still feeling a little overwhelmed about what had happened at the campsite.

"Well… what do ya wanna do then?" Daryl questioned as delicately as he could, he could see that his new acquaintance was starting to get upset and to say the thought of a woman crying made him uncomfortable was an understatement.

Kate pulled herself together as best she could, "I know it must sound stupid to _you_ … but what's in my car is all that I have" it wasn't exactly an answer to Daryl's question so she added "Look I'll drive you to your people, you've already done more than enough for me"

"Or we could find ya a road map" Daryl offered as he thought of the idea, "start driving, we'll find a gas station" He pointed down the left side of the road, knowing that the right would take them back to the prison and somehow he didn't want their meeting to be over so soon.

Daryl was right and they were soon pulling up outside of a long abandoned gas station with a shop attached. Kate was already feeling a little better about the situation and cursed herself for almost coming undone in front of a practical stranger. Especially a man such as Daryl Dixon.

When they got out of the car it was obvious that it had already been picked clean from looters. Kate was pretty certain that any maps the little shop had would most likely still be intact. As she shut her car door she heard the faint tell-tale groan of the dead. Her companion had heard it too and was already heading to direction of the noise with his bow at the ready.

Kate followed him round the building and was just in time to see Daryl plunge his hunting knife into the dead man's head. Then he stopped and listened "don't hear any more walkers" he said as he made his way to the entrance of the store "but keep ya guard up".

"I know what I'm doing," she reminded him curtly. I mean yes he had probably saved her life and no she wasn't sure, make that didn't know where she was going. But Kate felt that wasn't a true representation of herself, she'd made it this far and didn't want Daryl Dixon thinking she was useless.

* * *

Daryl rolled his eyes as Kate strode past him flicking her hair over her shoulder. He let her lead the way and enjoyed the view from behind as she struggled to open the door to the store which seemed to have something inside blocking it. She let out a groan of determination as she pushed at the door but it wouldn't budge more than a few inches. Daryl couldn't help himself and he laughed out loud.

Kate spun on her heel, a steely look in those big brown eyes. "hooo weee if looks could kill" he teased. She looked like she was going to say something but instead bit her bottom lip and started to storm around the side of the building. Daryl followed her sticking by his decision to let her lead the way. He felt a little bad embarrassing her. But he could tell she was what his ma would have described as 'uppity' and he wanted to get under her skin and _lighten the mood a little._

* * *

Kate felt her cheeks burn red at Daryl laughing at her and decided not to take the bait but instead prove him wrong. She wasn't going to let some burly _redneck_ outsmart her and make her feel even more foolish. As she got to the other side of the building she saw that the window had been smashed in providing an entrance. _Ha_ she though smugly and waited for him to catch up to her before she proceeded.

Soon enough they had the maps spread across the bonnet of the truck, like she had seen on so many movies she mused. Kate spotted Sunny Side on the map and Daryl quickly gestured to where they were on the map. "Looks to be about a 45 minute ride" he rasped and she suddenly realised how close they were standing as she felt his breath warm the side of her neck. His arm brushing against hers as he pointed at the map. She quickly straightened up and cleared her throat.

Before Kate could say anything Daryl indicated at the sky, "sun'll be down b'fore we get there... We'll make camp here". Kate could tell that he was unsure about the last part, but she knew he was right. She let out a resigned sigh and nodded her head.


	3. Chapter 3

"Walkers?" Kate asked Daryl as they settled down in the gas station. "I mean that's what you call… them" she quickly added as she realised her mistake. Her companion had already grabbed his crossbow and looked ready to fight.

"Huh? Ya hear something?"

"No" she laughed a little. "I'm saying, you call them walkers? You know… the dead. It has a certain ring to it". Suddenly she was feeling stupid, this was a weird topic of conversation and Daryl was giving her a strange look and nodding his head. She swallowed hard and started to pick through the backpack she had appropriated from the camp.

Kate grabbed out two cereal bars and two bottles of water. She offered Daryl his half and he scooted closer to her so he could reach them, "thanks". They ate in silence and suddenly it felt uncomfortable _should I say something?_ She began to ask herself. It wasn't like before when they were in the woods or in the car. Here in this gas station there were no distractions and she certainly wasn't ready to sleep. They had both finished eating and she could feel a slight tension in the air.

"So..."

"Do…" They both began at the same time and Kate let out a nervous laugh. "Go on.." she gestured for him to continue.

* * *

Daryl looked at Kate while she nibbled at her food delicately; his was eaten in three big mouthfuls. He began to scratch his face at the hair growing in and considered that _maybe she's waiting for me to say something?_ When they began to talk at the same time he wished he'd held out but she gestured for him to continue. "So…" he repeated and coughed a little. Then he decided to light a cigarette while he collected his thoughts.

She was looking at him straight in the face waiting for him to continue but instead he studied her eyes again. So bright and round, long eyelashes. _Little doe_ he remembered and laughed inwardly as he also remembered her marching round proving she 'knew what she was doing'. Then she looked away and Daryl felt a little embarrassed at openly staring at the woman. But he used the time she looked away to stare at her lips pink and _perfect_. He cleared his throat. "Want one?" he gestured towards his pack of smokes.

"I don't smoke… don't want to die of cancer" she chuckled darkly.

Daryl decided to continue with his original question, "So ya said yer from England? Whatcha doin 'round ere?"

"Work," she said giving nothing away.

"Right… ya some kinda spy? …I've seen a James Bond movie or two" He replied sarcastically.

* * *

Daryl suggesting she was a spy amused Kate greatly and she decided to play along "If I told you I'd have to kill you" she winked. The truth was much more boring and she liked the air of mystery. Daryl began to check over his cross bow and bolts, what he was looking for she couldn't say. But he looked somewhat relaxed and Kate felt the same.

"What about you Mr Dixon?... You from 'round ere'?" She mimicked his vernacular, which caught his attention and he gave her a playful smile.

"Yes mam, good ol' fashioned southern boy" he bowed his head but kept his eyes fixed on her.

The brunette felt a little flush creep up her chest and was thankful it was dark. His stare was so intense and as soon as it started it was gone. _Good ol' fashioned southern boy_ the phrase rolled around in her head and she suddenly thought of Gone with the Wind. How many times had she watched that movie? Read the book?

She changed the subject swiftly "Won't your group be wondering where you are? If you want to go back its okay". The idea of his people searching for him had weighed on her mind while they had been securing the gas station. She remembered all the times when group members had nether returned.

"Nah, I know what am doin'..." the hunter pointed out. "Wouldn't wanna leave ya runnin round out here on yer own". He saw the annoyance cross her face at his words and continued "Won't be the first time I stayed out all night" he finished with a roguish grin.

* * *

"Well don't feel like you must stay here for me, I can take care of _myself_ " Kate retorted tartly suddenly irritated. _Runnin round on my own, humph, like some headless chicken no doubt._ She flattened down the backpack and lay her head on it and rolled away from the man beside her. _Some good ol fashioned southern boy._

"Guess I'm on first watch then?" He sniggered and Kate cursed him inwardly.

* * *

The sunlight streaming in through the windows of the gas station roused Daryl from his slumber. At some point in the night he had woken his acquaintance up and she had started the second watch. He'd felt a little guilty, she had looked so peaceful. But he'd also been feeling guilty for staring at her ass while she slept, at one point her shirt had crept up her back somewhat and in the moonlight streaming through the window he could see the soft skin of the small of her back and the two little dimples just above the waistband of her jeans. He'd looked away and felt like some sort of peeping tom but there weren't much else to do and _lookin aint touchin._

Now as he sat up and gathered his senses he realised that Kate was nowhere to be seen. _She left?_ Was his first thought and he groaned a little but decided he would check outside before he got truly annoyed. Sure enough there she was.

"Plannin' on leavin' me? Shoulda got away sooner" he admonished her light-heartedly as he strode towards the nearest tree and took a leak. From the corner of his eye he saw miss uppity turn away like he knew she would.

"If I was going to leave you… I would. But I don't want to leave you stranded and helpless" She was trying to goad him but he simply scoffed and got in the car and behind the wheel. He waited to see if she would say anything, Daryl got the distinct impression that this woman liked to be in control. But she didn't say anything. She just climbed in the truck next to him and kept her eyes looking straight out the front window.

They drove the 45 minutes to Sunny Side and little miss uppity spent almost the entire journey sleeping. Must be why she _let_ me drive he mused. She had somehow seemed to curl her entire body on the seat and used her seatbelt as a sort of pillow. He stole glances at her from time to time and listened as she snored lightly.

Daryl began to think of the moment that was fast approaching when she would be at her car and saying goodbye. He couldn't understand why she didn't want to come back with him. Other people he had found had practically fallen to their knees with joy when he had offered them the safety of the group. Although he mocked her, he was sure she had her own ways of looking after herself. Luck was a rare commodity these days, yet it was luck that he had heard her screams yesterday. With that thought he decided he would take her back to the group, force the woman if he had to. _Damn right_ he decided, _when she saw the place she would be glad to be there_.

He stopped the car 'Welcome to Sunnyside' 'Population 142' the sign read. Kate must have sensed that the car had stopped and started to wake up, a look of sleep induced confusion on her face, _a deer in the headlights._


	4. Chapter 4

"Thank you for your help Daryl Dixon" Kate said quickly as she saw the sign to Sunny Side and began to open the door of the truck.

"Wait! I said I'd take ya to yer car" he reasoned.

"Well we're here now, close enough anyway. Anything else is just semantics" she smiled politely and began to leave the vehicle. They were getting too attached; she needed to cut this off. Keep alone, safe, _nobody gets hurt when they are alone_. But he reached over to her and grabbed her wrist pulling her halfway back into the car. He looked at her in earnest, his blue eyes pleading with her and she relented with a sigh. "Okay, I suppose I can stand you for a few moments more, but let me drive since I know the way" she instructed to exert some degree of control and he snorted out a laugh.

As she began to drive through the small town, she started to notice the 'walkers'. There had been a few when she had been here yesterday and maybe it was paranoia but she felt like now there were more. As Kate looked in her rear view mirror she saw them following the truck, far behind for now. She reasoned with herself that she could just hop out of this truck and into her car, they wouldn't need to fight and it would be the perfect quick escape. _From Daryl and the dead._

Kate turned left onto the street she knew her car would be but it was like nothing she had seen before, a swarm, a mass, a horde. There were walkers for as far as the eye could see and when they saw the truck they went into a frenzy. "Shit" she heard Daryl call out but she was too busy reversing around the corner to think of anything coherent to say. As the truck came around she was alarmed to discover that the 'stragglers' that were following them seemed to have enclosed the gap. She hit a couple with the truck and shuddered at the sick feeling of the vehicle manoeuvring over the bodies. _How had they not heard them?_

* * *

Daryl watched the situation unfurl in almost slow motion. As she began to drive down the only other available road he felt a little relieved that the woman hadn't completely panicked and crashed the car. That was until he heard Kate whimper "Oh my god". He had been watching the ravenous snarling mass chase them down the street and was only now seeing the overturned bus taking up the majority of the road. _Fuck_

"We ain't gonna get the truck past that," he called to her and she nodded. "Pull over, we gotta..." But Kate was already stopping the truck and they both jumped out. He heard a gun fire off and saw a walker drop that was standing next to the brunette. "This way!" he shouted. She followed unquestioningly. He led them down an alley way with his knife in hand and plunged it into the head of a walker that dived out from the shadows. Kate helped him move a couple of dumpsters so they were blocking the alleyway. But he knew that nothing could withstand a horde this big, they were like a swarm of locusts, engulfing the little town of Sunny Side.

Then he notice a fire escape up ahead, it was as good a place as any with all the geeks on the ground. He pointed to it with the crossbow and saw the flicker of recognition cross Kate's face. He crouched on one knee and enclosed his hands together so he could give her a leg up to the ladders above. They worked together seamlessly and soon enough they were both ascending the ladders to the buildings fourth floor roof.

When they reached the top they quickly surveyed the rooftop and it was empty save for a door which led into the building and the floor below. Daryl sat down and began to catch his breath, his adrenaline was pumping and he needed to calm down. "Fuck," he said as he lit his smoke and took a long drag. _Damn close._

He looked at Kate who was also sitting down. Her knees were pulled up to her chin with both her arms wrapped tightly around them. She clutched the gun she had taken the day before. She looked small, like the wind had been knocked out of her. "Ya okay?" he asked. She looked at him with a sad smile, "I'm sorry for getting you into this".

"This?... Ain't nothing'" he tried to sound nonplussed and gave her a half smile. He decided that he wanted to be the one to take control, show her that in this world you _can't do it alone_. He'd thought that he could once and he wasn't sure when it had happened but somewhere since meeting his ragtag band of survivors he'd changed his mind. Then he made his way over to the edge of the building to see what was happening below.

"The walkers look confused, don't think they know where we are" he informed her "we just gotta wait 'em out a bit." He'd seen hordes like these before and usually they moved on or at least dispersed enough to create a window of opportunity. By now Daryl was feeling pretty confident in his abilities in this world of the dead. He was built for it. It was like his whole life had been leading up to it. The years spent hunting, tracking and living wild had honed him and sharpened all his senses.

"Ya know when I was a kid, I once spent 9 days lost and alone in the woods…" he began the story in part to distract them both from the events down below but also to show her that he was a survivor long before any of this ever started.

* * *

Kate and Daryl sat on the roof for what seemed like a couple of hours. They had no food or water and the walkers seemed to still be milling around the building. 'Waiting them out' didn't seem to be working much. Daryl had started pacing around and she could tell he was silently weighing up their options; he looked like a wild animal pacing a cage.

Kate couldn't stop thinking back on the story he had told her about being lost in the woods. She'd laughed at some of the anecdotes _"wiped my damn ass wi' some poison oak"_ but mostly she'd felt sad. Imagining him as a young boy, gone for 9 days with no one to miss him made her think of her own childhood. She felt a certain connection to that little boy in the story, alone and unwanted.

The brunette started to wish that she had never taken Daryl's offer to bring her here. _If anything happens to him it's my fault_ she worried remorsefully. It wasn't that she wished that she had followed him to his camp, it was the opposite. She didn't want to be around _anyone_. Every person she had been in contact with since the plague begun had not survived. She felt cursed, like a bad penny.

"We gotta get off this roof, it's too hot and wi no water…" he started to say and Kate agreed. Her lips were dry and she was starting to get a headache, it was hard for her to get used to this hot Georgia sun.

They both made their way to the door and Kate tried the handle, _you never know,_ but it was locked as she had suspected. "Let me" Daryl suggested as he took out his Swiss army knife and crouched at the lock. She wasn't sure exactly what he did but soon enough the door was open; he turned his head so she could see his cocky smile. She rolled her eyes and began following him down the steps. She would never admit this to the hunter but he did make her feel safe. _Annoyed but safe_

It was soon clear that this was an apartment building and they approached the first door they came across. They both put their ear to the entryway to try and listen for what may lurk behind. Their eyes met and Kate nodded, Daryl seemed to understand her intention and began to pick the lock. As he began the brunette started to hear the tell-tale groan of a walker followed by the shuffling footsteps.

Kate determined that she couldn't really use her gun as the sound of the shot would summon the herd of dead that was surrounding the building. She crouched down to Daryl's level at the door handle and held his gaze. Then she began to reach for Daryl's hunting knife which was strapped to his belt. She waited for his consent before she unsheathed it slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible. In that moment it was like time had stopped and she was acutely aware of how close she was to him.

But the moment did end and the undead woman that Kate had heard came bounding down the hall towards her. Kate used her forearm to push the walker against the wall and with one swift motion she lodged the hunting knife under the woman's chin and straight into the brain. The red sludgy blood of the dead woman slid down her hand and Kate recoiled. She would _never_ get used to it. Slowly easing the body down to the ground she realised that Daryl was opening the door to the apartment.

* * *

Daryl went into the apartment crossbow first and started to scan the rooms to make sure there were no nasty surprises lying in wait. But the whole time he looked all he could think about was Kate's fingers as they eased the knife from his belt, he had thought his heart was going to pound right out his chest. _Fuckin stupid_ he reprimanded himself. The woman had barely even grazed him with her touches. But how long had it been since he had got laid? _Best not to think on that._


	5. Chapter 5

Together they had secured the apartment. This particular building had the advantage of being much taller than any of the others around which afforded them a good view of various roads. For now the situation outside remained the same in that there were walkers everywhere, but Kate couldn't help but notice that they were perhaps starting to move. Even so they had decided to spend the night in the relative safety of their current location; no doubt night would greet them before the dead said goodbye.

Kate had noticed that everything in the home had seemed untouched. As if it had remained empty since the world had ended. She didn't want to dwell too much on the former owner and why they had never made it home. But for the two survivors it was a stroke of _luck_ , there were various canned goods in the kitchen as well as some bottles of water. She eyed them greedily recalling that the last thing she had eaten was a small cereal bar over 12 hours ago.

Kate opened the final kitchen cupboard and saw that it was filled with various bottles of spirits and mixers. She grabbed the bottle of rum at the front and looked at it longingly, the promise of oblivion it held within was tantalising. But drinking wasn't really an option in this situation, _was it?_ They need to stay alert so she relented and put it back with a sigh.

Before she closed the cabinet door Daryl leaned over her shoulder. She felt his body pressed against hers for an instant and saw him grab out the bottle of Southern Comfort. "Very nice" he breathed down her neck in his southern drawl as he unscrewed the lid. He walked to another cupboard and grabbed out a glass and poured himself a shot.

"Do you think you should do that... I mean we should stay _alert…_ right?" Kate conveyed her worries but the phrase _party-pooper_ sprung to mind.

"Yer probably right…" he nodded "wanna join me?" he finished with a devilish smile.

* * *

Daryl found a second glass and poured a drink for Miss Uppity although he wasn't sure she deserved the nickname anymore. "Figured we're pretty much stuck 'ere… might as well make't most of it" He convinced her as he handed her the drink. Their fingers met around the glass and he felt his heart miss a beat. The brunette smiled coyly and raised the glass in cheers. He touched his glass to hers. He could think of other ways to _make the most of it_ but instead he poured them another measure.

"Maybe we should move to the bedroom," he suggested knowing how inappropriate it sounded. Daryl couldn't deny it, he wanted to get a rise out of her.

Sure enough Kate took the bait and flushed bright red and snorted her drink out her nose. "What?" she asked breathlessly and Daryl chuckled darkly.

"I said we should move to the bedroom, ya know it's furthest from the hall and has best view of the streets and access to the fire escape" he said innocently. "Whacha think I meant?" he held back the grin that threatened to break over his face.

"Hmm? I didn't hear… sorry… my drink went down the wrong way" the brunette cleared her throat trying to cover her embarrassment. But Daryl could still see the flush on her cheeks, down her neck, chest and _beyond._ He'd enjoyed making her lose her composure, more than he probably should have.

* * *

When they moved to the bedroom Daryl sat on one side of the double bed. His back leant against the headboard with one leg lay across the bed and the other set on the floor. He promptly lit a cigarette. Kate sat awkwardly on the edge of the dresser and watched him relax. _I can't go sit on the bed it's not proper!_ She cringed at the situation. _I've only known the man 24 hours_ but it didn't feel right. It had only been a day yet it had seemed so much more.

Kate opened up the can of tomato soup she had found in the cupboard and began to drink it from the tin. Cold soup wasn't too bad she had decided long ago. In fact compared to some of the 'meals' she had eaten it was very agreeable. She looked around the bedroom, _must have been a man that lived_ here she mused. The décor was dark and masculine and lacked any of the feminine touches, _not that it matters anymore_.

Sometimes it was hard to accept that the world from before had ended and a new one had begun. Would people ever care about throw cushions and scented candles again? Or _literature, museums, music?_ All the inconsequential things Kate loved. She observed Daryl again, happily puffing away on his cigarette. He seemed like he was pretty much living the same way he had been living before the end.

Their eyes met, "what?" he asked.

 _I've been staring_ she chided herself. "Nothing… was just thinking I might find a book to read" she said the first thing that came to mind. While perusing the bookshelf Kate came across a picture of who she assumed was the man that had lived in this apartment. Suddenly reading held no interest to her so she made her way back to the bedroom and tentatively sat on the bed besides Daryl. _Who cares about propriety?_

"No book?" he enquired as he refilled her glass from before and handed it to her. Kate shook her head and took the glass making a mental note that this would be _the last one_. But she changed her mind as she felt the liquid warm her veins and numb her sense. _Maybe one more._

* * *

When they had entered the bedroom Daryl realised quickly that there were no chairs, just the bed. He'd settled himself down and waited to see what she would do, _things could get real cosy in here_ he mused. His mind seemed to be running away with itself. But she'd sat on the edge of the dresser and squashed the ideas he was imagining. _Probably for the best anyways._

But now she had returned and was joining him. The double bed suddenly seemed very small and his earlier bravado from making her blush had quelled. _I need another drink_.

"So have you thought anymore on my offer?" he began and saw the confused look on her face "Comin' back to ma group with me I mean." He was hopeful that the turn of events over the past day had changed her mind.

"I don't know" she shrugged and sipped her glass.

"That's not a no…" he gestured for her to continue.

"The truth is… I don't like being alone but at the same time I don't know if I can do it again…" Kate hesitated "making friendships, caring about _people_ then watching it all…" she seemed to be looking for the right words before deciding on "turn to shit."

The expression sounded odd coming out of her mouth, that accent sounded more like she should be some fancy news reader and not _cussin'._

"Look at what has happened today, if you hadn't met me you wouldn't be stuck here now"

"That's not ya fault" he scoffed. He felt a little knot in his stomach thinking about what could have happened yesterday if he hadn't met her.

"Isn't it?" she sighed. "Everybody I know is dead… everybody I've met is dead… and now you're here with me and we're trapped and…"she didn't finish the sentence but finished her glass instead and reached over Daryl to grab the bottle. "I'm bad luck" she said miserably.

 _Thought drinking made people happy_ he thought as he eyed her carefully. "I'm glad I met ya" he said suddenly. Her eyes met his and they seemed to sparkle for a moment the faintest trace of a smile on her perfect lips. _Shit, gotta stop drinkin_ he cleared his throat and looked away.

"Let's make a deal." He started getting her attention and directing the conversation away from his previous admission. "We make it through this… then it'll prove ya not _unlucky_ and ya can come back wi me" he jested and held out his hand for her to shake. How _she_ could think that she was bad luck was beyond his understanding. He'd meant what he had said, he was _glad to meet her_.

* * *

Kate regarded his outstretched hand. _He isn't going to give this up, why fight it?_ So she took it and it was rough and warm and big enough to enclose the whole of hers and her heart beat a little faster. What was wrong with her? She felt like a giddy teenager instead of a grown woman. Maybe it's his _southern charm._ But she mocked the idea as soon as it entered her head, Daryl wasn't the sort of man a woman would consider 'charming' but he was compelling in his own redneck sort of way _._ "I'll come with you Daryl Dixon… but I'm not promising I'll stay".

"Ha" he laughed "yes mam". All at once Kate felt hopeful which was a rare thing these days. But she trusted Daryl, he was capable. Maybe his people were too. _Maybe this time everything would be different._


	6. Chapter 6

_This chapter proved a little more difficult to write for some reason. Hope you enjoy it anyway. And feel free to leave any comments or suggestions for future chapters._

* * *

As Daryl stirred he instinctively nestled his face further into the enticing softness in his arms and groaned dreamily. As he woke further he realised that the warmth he was wrapping himself around was his new companion, _Kate_. It had been a long time since he had held a woman in his arms and he savoured the moment. The scent of her skin, her softness, her curves, she was so warm and inviting. He drank the feeling in greedily before relinquishing his hold.

The little brunette was still sleeping and Daryl wasn't keen to see her reaction if she woke with his face pressed into her hair, breathing in the scent. _Sure smells good though_ he smiled as he rolled away from her and stood up off the bed. Kate let out a low sigh and nestled further into the bedcovers and began snoring faintly.

He grabbed a can of food that Kate had brought to the bedroom last night, he was starving. While he ate he looked out of the window to try and assess the situation. Daryl was pleased with what he saw, the main portion of the horde seemed to have passed the little town and now there were just stragglers littering the streets. He could see their truck from yesterday and he decided it wouldn't be too much trouble for them to get back to it this morning. _I'm gonna win the deal_ he decided feeling satisfied.

* * *

When Kate woke up she stretched lazily. It had been so nice sleeping in a real bed. As she savoured the feeling of the mattress under her body she rubbed her temples to try and relieved the searing headache gripping her brain. _Oh dear god why did I drink so much?_ It was the age old question which she had asked so many times before, usually followed by 'never again'.She couldn't exactly remember falling asleep last night but it must have been somewhere between midnight and what she would phrase as her 'emotional outburst'. _Why did I say those things?_ She groaned internally remembering admitting to Daryl that she thought she was 'bad luck' and didn't like _'being lonely'_.

"Good mornin' Sunshine" her drinking buddy was smirking and she felt a little exposed lying awkwardly in the bed with sleep in her eyes and messy bed hair.

"Good morning… how does it look?" she answered noticing the hunter standing by the window. He set the can of food he was eating down on the dresser and lit a cigarette making her wait impatiently for his answer and then he glanced his eyes along her body quickly and grinned "lookin' good". His eyes on her sent a wave of butterflies fluttering wildly in her tummy and she felt the hint of a blush kiss her cheeks.

Kate quickly exited the bedroom to regain her composure. She headed for the apartment's bathroom hoping to find some pain medication for her headache and mouthwash for her morning breath. She was in luck. What really made her day was when she realised that the building had some running water. _Thank god_ she smiled victoriously then filled the sink and gave herself a good scrub.

 _I'll have to do_ she decided as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her face and arms were clean now and she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. All this time spent in the warm Georgia sun had given her skin a healthy glow and she'd got used to seeing her face au natural. There was no time for mascara and lipstick at the end of the world. Although since meeting Mr Dixon she had become acutely aware of her stained clothes and dirty fingernails. Daryl seemed to pull of 'post-apocalyptic chic' and general grubbiness which just added to his masculinity.

When Kate went back to the bedroom she told hunter that now "was as good a time as any" to make it back to the truck. He agreed with her readily. In truth she wanted to get back out in the open and put an end to all the uninterrupted one on one time she was spending with Daryl Dixon. She was already starting to get too acquainted with the man.

* * *

They exited the apartment building with ease. Taking the same route they had entered with. When they got to the rooftop they peered over the edge and saw that there were no geeks in the alley down below. They would be able to climb down in relative safety, even so Daryl made sure he went first. He wanted to protect the woman even if she thought she didn't need it.

Upon reaching the ground they watched the main road from behind the dumpsters which had been rearranged yesterday. "Let's go" he whispered when he saw a clear path to the truck. He pushed the dumpster aside and squeezed through while grabbing the brunettes hand to bring her with him. Then they made a run for it, dodging any outstretched arms which snatched their way. Daryl got into the driver's side which was furthest from the alley and Kate settled for riding shotgun.

"Ya okay, no bites or scratches?" he checked a while making a swift u turn. Kate nodded and seemed distracted.

"Ya still want yer car or…" he questioned. The brunette looked at him with raised eyebrows and an incredulous look on her face "Of course I do".

"Yes mam" he saluted.

When they reached the street where her car was it was a significantly different sight from the day before but there were still a somewhat uncomfortable number of geeks creeping around. He started to drive down anyway knowing that it wasn't anything he 'couldn't handle'. And the woman next to him had a determined look on her face which he knew meant she wasn't going to settle for anything less than what she wanted.

* * *

As they approached her car she could easily see that one of the tires was deflated and one of the windows was smashed in. She sighed angrily, realising it must have happened when the horde of walkers had started charging them yesterday. Even so she was determined to collect some of her belongings before abandoning the vehicle she had been calling home for so long.

She readied the hammer she had found in the apartment and told him to pull over, "I want to grab some things". He seemed unsure but did as she asked anyway. "Wait here," she commanded him as she got out of the truck. She'd have a few minutes before any walkers would become a problem so she didn't need him hovering over her shoulder as she got what she wanted.

Kate opened the boot and half crawled in to retrieve the little leather bound wallet of photos. As she held it in her hand tenderly she felt a wave of calm come over her. As if the past couple of days she had been submerged under water and had only now come up for air. _Thank god thank god_ she chanted to herself.

Kate was a fastidious planner and already had a holdall pre packed with everything she might need if she had to leave her car in a hurry. So she grabbed it and shoved the wallet inside. She could sense the dead closing in on the car so she only had a limited time to choose which weapons she would take from her arsenal. She grabbed the short sword and her knife. _This will have to do_ she deliberated _maybe I can come back for the rest one day?_

As Kate pulled her belongings from the car a walker lunged for her and she kicked it back forcefully before driving her sword into its skull. She spun around and could see that Daryl had ignored her request and was by her side waiting to assist her so she threw her holdall at him. He caught it effortlessly and ran back to the truck stowing it on the backseat while retaking his position on the driver's side.

As Kate was about to climb into the passenger side she suddenly remembered something that she'd found a few weeks back and had kept in the foot well of her car. "I'll be right back," she grinned and grabbed her trusty sword. It felt _so good to have it back_.

"Get in da damn truck woman", he called to her urgently.

"Don't talk to me like that… Daryl Dixon," Kate said it like she had all the time in the world. She wasn't going to let some redneck _mountain man_ boss her around.

* * *

Daryl punched the steering wheel angrily as Kate jogged away. He was going to follow her when he watched her slay two more walkers easily, graceful even. He chuckled in admiration, _maybe she can take care of herself_. Then she reached for something in her car. He wondered what else she could have stowed in there, still feeling surprised at having seen her pull out the sword and swing it at the walker like _some kinda warrior woman_. His thoughts had flickered to Michonne who would probably like the feisty little brunette.

Kate climbed back into the truck with another holdall in her hand "It's a gift for you…" she smiled as she pulled open the bag to how Daryl the contents. "Maybe you can put one of your people through your mountain man training" she concluded chuckling lightly. He half looked in the bag as he manoeuvred the truck past the walkers. _A crossbow_ , that's what she had gone back for. _Or I could show you_ he mused as he stole a glance at her.

As they made their way out of Sunny Side Kate looked at him thoughtfully "You never asked me the three questions". Daryl shook his head and smirked looking into those big doe eyes, "didn't need to".


	7. Chapter 7

As Kate and Daryl began to make their way further from Sunny Side she started to process the events of the past few days. The two men that had picked her off the street as if she was no more than a can of beans. The way the scar faced man had leered at her and the stench of his rotten breath was etched on her brain. To those men she was just an object to snatch up and do with as they pleased. And now they were gone and she didn't feel any regret for what she had done.

Then Kate looked over to Daryl who caught her eye and gave a shy smile. He was a man who had heard a stranger cry for help and risked his own life. _Just like that_ , like it was the most normal thing in the world. Her heart began to beat a little faster as she realised that this man had spent the last two days by her side with no other thought than protecting her. She watched the subtle movements his body made as he drove the truck. The way his hands glided over the wheel, and she found her breath caught in her throat.

Kate looked out the passenger side window to regain her composure. _Stop acting ridiculous_ she told herself. She was not the type of woman to have this sort of reaction over a man but she had never met a man Daryl Dixon before. _A good ol' fashioned southern boy._

Eventually the truck ran out of fuel and they had no option but to walk the rest of the way. Kate sat on the hood of the vehicle and watched Daryl as he studied the map they had found the day before. He ran his fingers through his hair and scrunched his face a little "reckon it's gonna be a 3 or 4 hour hike".

"Best get our walking boots on then Mr Dixon," she smiled as she hopped down from her seat. As she started to pull her belongings out of the car Daryl took the big holdall from her grasp and slung it on his shoulder easily. _The perfect gentleman_ she thought admiringly.

* * *

"So where'd you get the sword?" Daryl asked as he watched Kate secure the weapon to her waist.

"It's from a museum collection… medieval weaponry," she spoke in her clipped English tones. "When the outbreaks started I had never even held a gun before let alone used one. But with this..." she gestured to the weapon that was trailing her leg "you just stick them with the pointy end". Daryl laughed at the joke but more at the fact that Miss Uppity was the kind of person who had looted her weaponry from a museum.

They began their hike back to the prison with success. As there were just two of them it was easy to avoid walkers by staying away from main roads and towns. They ate the snacks and drank the water from Kate's holdall and made excellent time. Conversation with the little brunette was easy and when they weren't talking the silence was comfortable. He stole glances when he could and offered his assistance readily when they had to do any sort of climbing. A leg up, a steady hand and every time they touched his heart beat a little faster. He felt like a parched man brought to water and he lapped it up.

Eventually they entered into a wooded area that Daryl recognised. He figured they were "just a 20 minute walk to the camp now". As he scanned the surroundings he crouched down to examine some fresh deer tracks. _Coming home with a deer would sure make up for being missing for 2 nights._ He was lost in thought when Kate crouched down alongside him and whispered "What is it? What are we hiding from?"

He shook his head and laughed while pointing to the ground. "Fancy doin' some huntin' city girl?" he grinned at her with a cocked eyebrow.

"I thought you'd seen something serious!" Kate scolded him playfully while punching his shoulder with a smile. Daryl stood up and held out his hand to the little brunette. She took it and he pulled her up forcefully, the momentum made her stumble a few steps into his chest. Kate tilted her head to look at him and they held each other's gaze for an indeterminate amount of time. Daryl gazed at her bright eyes and slightly parted pink lips and thought he might _kiss her_ but then she broke the reverie and stepped away.

"If you want to hunt… lead on mountain man" she said teasing him as he reluctantly released her hand from his grasp but their eyes remained locked on each other. Kate bit her bottom lip seductively and he thought about pulling her into his arms and stealing the kiss that had almost been his. But he wavered and cleared his throat to distract himself. Dropping the bag he was carrying he advised "we er… hunt light… leave everythin' here but our weapons".

When they set off to track the deer Kate followed him from a distance, telling him she would let him _'do his thing'_. He glanced back at her frequently and noticed she was always intently watching him, encouraging him with her shy smiles and the faintest trace of a blush. His bravado made Daryl feel like he needed to impress her, show her what a _real southern man_ could do. He could tell by the way Kate spoke and acted that she was probably used to being surrounded by what his mama had called " _book learnin'folks"_ but daryl was thinking of the _"book learnin' men"_ and snorted. He was going to track and kill this deer no matter what it took.

* * *

Kate was waiting about 20 feet back from where Daryl was standing so that she wouldn't disturb him or scare the animal he was hunting. But more than anything she was trying to distance herself for the way Daryl was making her feel, she couldn't deny that she was attracted to him. There was a rugged magnetism that she was finding almost irresistible. But Kate was so used to putting up a wall to people she wasn't sure she could let it down, no matter how much Daryl fractured it.

She held her breath as Daryl readied his crossbow, she could tell he was lining up the shot. The bolt sprung from the weapon and she was in no doubt that it would hit its target. "Woo wee right 'tween the eyes," he called triumphantly and turned to her while running his fingers through his unruly hair and smirking gleefully. She let out her breath and began to approach him as he beckoned. "Very impressive Mr Dixon" she complimented.

"Weren't nothin' really" he rasped as he lit up his last cigarette. They made their way to where the deer was and he made sure that it was dead and removed the bolt. "You wait here an guard this from any geeks" he said gesturing with the bloody bolt. "I'll go back for the bags".

Kate sat on a rock near the animal and thought briefly of Bambi, that film had always made her cry. _Especially since…_ She felt a tight knot in her stomach and from her pocket she pulled the leather wallet which she had rescued from her car. When they had left the bags to hunt Kate had made sure to bring the item with her and not risk losing it again.

She opened the folds and her eyes met the familiar photograph which always broke her heart a little bit. She traced her finger over the lovable face of the boy smiling back at her. _I love you sweet boy_ she tried to blink back the tears that were threatening her eyes. Then like she always did she began to carefully look through and examine all six of the photos. As usual the ritual soothed and saddened her at the same time, reminding her of the old wound that would never heal. It had been three years since she had held her little boy in her arms, seen his happy face or heard him say I love you.

Kate reluctantly put the wallet back in her pocket so she could compose herself before Daryl returned. She wiped her nose and eyes with the back of her hand and fiddled with her hair trying to focus on anything but her inner turmoil. She heard a twig snap and looked over expecting to see the familiar redneck. But instead it was the half decayed face of a dead man.

The walker lunged for her and she scrambled backwards off the rock she was sitting on. As Kate fell down hard she felt a sharp stab of pain in her arm. She glanced briefly at it and noticed a large gash where it had cut on a sharp edge, the blood was trickling down her wrist but she had no time to tend to it.

Before she could stand up the walker was grabbing violently at her legs so she kicked wildly thrusting herself backwards while trying to draw her sword from her belt. There wasn't enough room to pull the weapon free as the walker attacked hungrily again. Kate grabbed its face in her hands and felt the mottled flesh tear as the creature forced its snapping jaws forward towards her torso. She pulled her knee up and used it to thrust the monster off her.

As it tumbled away she rolled the opposite direction and clambered to her feet. This time she unsheathed her sword quickly and easily and brought it down on the dead man's neck severing his head. Kate's heart was racing from the experience and she began to cradle her injured arm.

* * *

Daryl heard the sounds of a struggle where he had left Kate he started to race towards her urgently. When he reached the clearing where he had left the brunette his eyes flicked from a dead walker and her bleeding arm. _She's been bit_ he concluded and he felt like he'd been winded. He held back the bile that was rising in his throat and ran over to her grabbing her by the shoulders. He looked into those big doe eyes and she gave a weary smile. "That a bite?" he managed

"No… I cut myself on a _bloody_ rock" she laughed a little. Daryl felt the relief flood his body and he gently took hold of her slim arm and inspected the wound. "We got a couple doc's back at the prison that'll fix this up real nice" he smiled warmly as he took a stray strand of her hair between his fingers and then tucked it gently behind her ear.


	8. Chapter 8

The last portion of the journey to Daryl's camp wasn't supposed to be very far but it was gruelling. Between carrying the deer and her belongings Kate felt like she was slowly sinking into the ground. The cut in her arm was throbbing terribly and as she wiped a bead of sweat away from her brow she began second guessing her decision to join this new group.

She had been doing okay on her own for months but since meeting Daryl she had already nearly gotten them both killed in a horde of dead and had then been so distracted she didn't even notice a walker before it was practically chewing on her neck. She couldn't believe how careless she had been the past couple of days.

But as the prison came into view and she heard Daryl say "This is it" she accepted it was too late for second guessing. Before she knew it they were on the right side of the fence and a bearded man and a teenage boy approached them. The man took Kate's end of the deer from her and eyed her curiously before speaking to the hunter. "We were getting worried about you… Carol nearly went out looking"

Kate winced at his words, he was confirming what she had been feeling guilty about the day before and she felt a little embarrassed that she had caused such a fuss. Then she began to wonder who Carol was, her new favourite redneck had nether mentioned the name but then she didn't recall him mentioning much of anything. She remembered her previous analysis that Daryl was a man of action and not words and realised she didn't really know much about what she was letting herself in for.

The teenage boy who was wearing a sheriff's hat gave her a small smile before he reassured the hunter "Nah we all knew you'd be back."

Then four of them made their way over to a central area of the compound where there was an outdoor kitchen set up. Along the way the boy told her that his name was Carl and the other man was his father Rick, he then started to go into detail about his little sister Judith who was only a few months old. _A real baby_ , when was the last time she had seen one of those? Carl was such a proud big brother and seemed mature beyond his years and Kate liked him immediately. Rick was a different story, he didn't say much but she could feel him watching her with a wary expression, he didn't trust her. When the father and son explained that they had to get back to "tending the pigs" she was glad to get away from Rick's steely gaze.

It didn't take long for a small crowd to start gathering around her and the redneck, they all welcomed Kate but it was Daryl they wanted to see. They were all admiring him, telling him how 'glad they were' that he was back and in their eyes was a look of reverence. She watched his reaction to all the fuss and he seemed embarrassed, she even noticed the hint of flush light up his face. Especially when one young boy came over to shake his hand like he was _President Daryl Dixon._

"What are you the second coming?" she teased nonchalantly. But seeing the admiration that these people held for the man she'd come to know these past few days made Daryl Dixon seem even more desirable.

He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at the deer saying modestly "people just like to eat". Then he held her hand while he lightly traced his finger along her bandaged injury "We best be getting you to the doc". The way he touched her made her legs feel like they had turned to jelly and she could barely follow when he started to walk away.

* * *

Daryl led the little brunette to the cell that was set up as a mini surgery and he realised it was Dr S and not Hershel that was attending. He suddenly wished it was the old man and felt a little annoyed that this doctor would be putting his healing hands on Kate. He tried to turn away but the man noticed him "How can I help you Daryl?"

"This is Kate" he rasped as she squeezed past him and entered the room.

Dr S stood up when he saw the brunette and began to fuss over her. When he had sat her down on the bed he turned to Daryl and raised his eyebrows giving him a wicked smile while saying "anything else?"

Daryl realised that the Doctor obviously expected him to leave after delivering a beautiful woman to his bed. _Not a chance_ Daryl seethed and told him "I'll wait here, gonna set Kate up in 'er new room after this".

"Well the patient might like some privacy…"

"She don't need privacy to git her arm fixed" Dr S backed down from the argument and Daryl leaned on the doorframe crossing his arms.

As the doctor began to perform his ministrations Daryl heard a familiar voice call his name. It was Carol, she welcomed him back and asked for him to 'come and help her trim the deer'. He groaned inwardly and told Kate "Come an' find me when ya finshed 'ere". Then he gave Dr S a stern look. He wasn't sure why he was being possessive with a woman he barely knew, hadn't even kissed. But when he looked at Kate, big eyes, soft skin, _great ass,_ he felt like a dog with a bone and he wasn't going to let it drop.

* * *

Kate heard Daryl begin talking to Carol outside of the room. She craned her neck to try and see the mystery woman who was telling Daryl about how 'worried she'd been' and 'how important he was to her'. The brunette began to fume inside wondering if he had been playing her for a fool. Is this what he did? _Rescued unsuspecting women then use his southern charms to seduce them_. _He probably has women all over this camp swooning over him_ she though indignantly.

And now he was ordering her to find him when she had finished having her arm stitched. On the inside she was fuming, she wasn't going to be running after him like some lost little puppy dog. But outwardly she remained calm and smiled a little too sweetly at Dr S and said "I'm sure the good Doctor can help me find a room"

"If that's what ya want…"he questioned hesitantly while flicking his eyes between her and the man besides her.

"Yes I'm sure" she almost spat out the words and looked away.

* * *

As Daryl trimmed and butchered the deer his mind kept replaying what had happened between himself, Kate and the Dr S. Had he said something wrong? She'd seemed angry at him. The way she had smiled at the other man had made him want to grab her and kiss her hard. Mark his territory. Then he considered that maybe Kate didn't have any interest in some 'dumb _redneck'_. She could have any man she wanted and he'd handed her over to the _goddamned doctor._

Kate's rejection made him think of a life time of Merle's taunts and never feeling good enough. He began to feel like a volcano ready to erupt, his blood was boiling and he wanted to explode. He threw the knife he was butchering with into a nearby post and upended a table full of supplies as he stomped off in a rage. Carol called his name but he ignored her.

* * *

Kate was lying in the bed of her new room which Dr S had been more than happy to help her acquire. He'd been overly helpful, insisting that "his patient" didn't lift a finger while he gathered her some fresh bed linen, food and a cup of tea. She felt too exhausted to protest so let the man look after her. As she drank her tea the Doctor told her all about the prison and its facilities. "We even have running water in the shower block"

"A shower sounds like heaven" she admitted. Clean skin, clean hair, clean clothes, was there anything better? Eventually a man came to her room looking for Dr S and he reluctantly said goodbye.

As she fantasised about having a shower she realised that her clean clothes were in the bag she had left by the outdoor kitchen. Right where she was certain Daryl would be. Daryl and Carol, it had a certain sing song chime about it that irritated her when their names crossed her mind.

Kate was sitting on her bed still trying to decide if she should get her bag or not when she noticed a familiar figure hesitating outside of her room. "Can I come in?" he asked in his southern drawl.

Her heart missed a beat and she stood to look at him, noticing he was carrying her bag. He entered the little room and placed it on the bed. "Thank you" she said with half a smile, almost forgetting why she had been so angry with the mountain man. They stood at an impasse, Daryl looking at her intently. She held his gaze and he looked like he was going to say something but he just ran his fingers through his hair and left the room.

Kate felt a surge of disappointment, she didn't know what she wanted the man to say but the way he left made her feel hollow. She almost ran down the hall after him before remembering the sickly sweet way that Carol had spoken to him.

Then she unzipped the holdall and pulled out a toiletry bag along with clean underwear, jeans and a blue flannel shirt. _Everything will feel better after a shower_ she decided and that cheered her up. As she left her room she bumped into a young woman, "You must be the new girl, I'm Maggie… I was just coming over to give you the grand tour"

* * *

 _I want to thank everyone who has started following and especially my first reviewer. This is the first fan fic I've ever done and the first thing I've written since high school english which was a long time ago! I'd appreciate any feedback or reviews so I know if I'm on the right track._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The sun had set into a beautiful evening. Kate was feeling refreshed and content when she stepped outside to join the group. She marvelled at the sky, the stars shone so brightly now that the world had ended. But tonight she wanted to forget that there we walkers outside of the fence and enjoy the evening.

Everyone had gathered to eat the deer that had now been cooked and prepared into a feast. It smelled _glorious_ and she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten fresh meat. Her mouth was watering uncontrollably and she found her thoughts led her back to Daryl Dixon. She couldn't see him in the crowd so made her way over to Maggie. The woman smiled brightly and invited her to sit down with her family, "Beth, Glenn and ma Daddy Hershel". They were nice people and she felt at ease straight away.

Kate was talking to Hershel when Dr S sat down next to her with a smile and joined into the conversation. It was obvious that the two men were friends by the easy way they spoke to each other, making sure to include her in their discussions. In fact she found that the Doctor or Caleb as he told her to call him was being very attentive to her. He was a nice man but she couldn't help but feel that his courtesies where somehow phoney. The apocalypse had a particular way of bringing people together and it didn't take her long to realise that she was the only _single_ 'eligible lady' over 21 and under 35 that this group had.

"We'll have to find you a job, everyone's got jobs to do here," Hershel said warmly.

"Miss uppity don't like taking orders…" a familiar southern drawl accused loudly and little cruelly causing the lively banter of the group to die down. She hadn't even noticed Daryl sitting further down the collection of tables.

Kate was aware of people's eyes on her and felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She remembered that she hadn't wanted to join the redneck back at his camp in the first place and felt hurt at his words. Why was he trying to humiliate her in front of his people? She smiled kindly at the white haired man "well I'm not sure I'll be staying for very long".

When she glanced in Daryl's direction he scowled at her then looked away. The woman next to him was trying to address him but he was just staring angrily into his dinner. "Who's that woman?" Kate asked Caleb.

"That's Carol." _That's Carol_ she felt like she'd been hit by lightning. Carol wasn't the swooning beauty that Kate had pictured in her mind. Daryl was barely even interacting with the woman let alone having some kind of romantic relationship. Her earlier train of thought reminded her that there were in fact no 'eligible' women fawning over the mountain man.

She had behaved like a jealous, irrational fool to a man she wasn't even in a relationship with. Kate remembered all the times she had rolled her eyes and laughed at her friends when they acted like a 'green eyed monster'. And she felt embarrassed at her own conduct.

It occurred to her that perhaps the reason she had never been jealous before was because she'd married the only serious boyfriend she'd ever had. And it was hardly a match borne out of passion. The brunette tried to picture her late husband's face, feeling ashamed that she didn't have a picture of him in her precious wallet.

* * *

Daryl was angry as he observed Kate laughing and joking with the man besides her. The doctor whispered in her ear, touched her shoulder and spooned the gravy on her plate. No matter how innocent, every interaction made him more and more annoyed. The man was clinging on her every word like _damned leech._ He wanted to burn him off. But the worse thing was Kate hadn't even noticed him. Not even looked at Daryl once.

"Miss uppity don't like taking orders…" He hadn't meant to shout it out and he regretted it immediately as he noticed her blush and open her doe eyes wide. She looked so beautiful.

When he heard her say she 'wouldn't be staying' Daryl felt even more annoyed than before. _What was wrong with this woman?_ He seethed and glared at her. He hadn't gone to so much trouble to bring her here to let her run back into the wilderness. Then he glared at Caleb Subramanian, he certainly hadn't brought her here to let him have her either. _Damn annoying woman_ he admonished her but he was more annoyed at his self for not taking the seat next to her at the table when he'd had the chance.

* * *

Caleb took it upon himself to walk Kate back to her room and when they got to the door she entered and turned to face him. "I hope you'll reconsider what you said before… about leaving" he said while he leaned on the door frame.

"I'm not sure I belong here," she told him thinking about how Daryl had humiliated her at dinner.

"Of course you do, we need more people like you…"

"You don't even know me," Kate countered wishing that this conversation would end so she could lie on her bed and look at her pictures and stop thinking about Daryl Dixon.

"I know that you're beautiful, smart…" he placed his hand on her face and rubbed his finger over her cheekbone "you got these big sad eyes". Before he could continue she grabbed his hand from her face and implored him to "stop… please… don't say anymore".

 _What was he thinking?_ Kate tried to avoid his gaze as she backed away "Goodnight Dr S" she said in her clipped English tone. Caleb hesitated in the doorway and eventually let out a sigh and said "goodnight".

When he left, Kate threw herself on the bed in frustration and covered her face with the pillow to try and block everything and everyone out. The way Daryl had spoken to her and looked at her over dinner had disappointed her more than she cared to admit.

* * *

"Goddammit" Daryl muttered when he returned to the table. Carol had asked if he and Glenn would mind fetching some water for her to clean the dishes with and they had both obliged. She always felt more comfortable asking people from the 'original' group to help her out. As much as everyone tried to integrate she always felt like it was 'us' and 'them.'

"What's gotten in to you today?" Carol asked him. She knew he had a temper, but since he had come back he'd been sulking and brooding like she had never seen him before.

"Nothin" he snapped automatically but then he looked at her and his eyes softened. "Did ya see Dr S leavin?" Daryl asked sounding almost unsure of the question.

 _Dr S?_ Carol didn't even want to ask why he was now so interest in the Doctor. She could tell he wasn't in the mood for a heart to heart, he'd barely spoken at dinner. Only opening his mouth to insult the woman he'd brought back with him. "I'm not sure… he probably walked the new girl… Kate is it? Back to her cell"

"He did?!"

Before she could answer he had already started marching off towards the prison. He pushed past some people who were trying to 'thank him again for the deer'. Then Carol realised that it wasn't the doctor he was really asking about and she chuckled softly. _Poor Daryl_ he was acting like a lovesick teenager.

* * *

Daryl approached Kate's cell as Dr S was walking away from it. He roughly grabbed the man's arm as they crossed paths and Caleb looked surprised. He wanted to tell the man to leave Kate alone but he knew how ridiculous it would sound. Kate and Dr S owed him nothing. So he let the man go with nothing but a harsh stare.

When Daryl stood at Kate's door like he had done earlier in the day he wanted to be bolder than he had before. A few hours ago he had dropped her bag off and hadn't dared speak any of the thoughts that were running through his mind. But then he saw her lying on the bed with her pillow over her head and couldn't bring himself to say anything yet again.

He turned and walked a few feet away leaning on the wall of the adjacent cell. The woman had got in under his skin and he needed to do something, say something, _anything_. He strode back towards the door confidently.

She must have heard him this time because she sat up and her silky hair fell in waves around her face. He gulped down hard and forgot what he was going to say.

"Daryl?"

"I er…" he cleared his throat. "Meet me tomorrow mornin' and I'll show you how to use that crossbow".

"No"

 _What_? She was refusing. He watched her stand up and walk towards him, she positioned herself right in front of him "I don't like taking orders". Kate emphasised each word and then turned on her heel and lay on the bed "goodnight Mr Dixon".

He knew he should feel more upset at her rejection but she'd looked so small and beautiful squaring up to him. With her bare feet, big eyes and furrowed brow he'd found it hard not to laugh and scoop her into his arms. But he'd decided to let her give him a ' _tellin' off'_ tonight. Tomorrow he'd take her out with him anyway.


	10. Chapter 10

The leaders of the group were having a council meeting like they did so often. Rick hadn't shown as usual and Hershel was promising everyone that he would "speak to Rick about taking his gun outside with him". Carol hoped that he could get through to the ex-sheriff. She had a lot of respect for the man but she couldn't understand why he would be so careless with his life when he had two children to protect.

"What about Kate? She needs to contribute if she's going to stay no matter how long she's here" Sasha said. Carol watched Daryl's reaction at the mention of his new friends name. For the whole meeting he had been staring into space, his mind elsewhere but now he was alert. Carol squashed the knowing grin that was starting to spread across her face.

"Dr S mentioned something about her helping him in the infirmary" Hershel started to say and Daryl stabbed his Swiss army knife that he had been playing with into the table. "Did he? I think he's got more than enough help. All he does is sit on his ass most o' time anyway". The outburst earned him a hard stare from the old man who had a liking for the Doctor.

"We always need more help with laundry and cooking" Carol said trying to interrupt Daryl from his tirade about Caleb.

"She'll be better hunting with me… she has a crossbow and we need the food" he sat back in his chair arms crossed with an indignant look on his face.

"She can hunt? I thought she was some sort of lecturer?" Glenn questioned.

"She helped me with the deer didn't she?" Daryl stood up from his chair dramatically "she's stayin'… an she's huntin'". Then he marched off before anyone could protest. Everyone in the group looked to Carol for an explanation of his weird behaviour, she was the one they all turned to when it came to handling Daryl. But she shrugged her shoulders and shook her head "I don't know…"She wasn't going to discuss the poor man's love life. Although he was wound up so tight she suspected it was more a lack of a love life and she laughed quietly.

* * *

Kate had woken up early to walk the perimeter fence of the prison looking for all the strengths and weaknesses. She had studied enough about medieval castles to know a thing or two about defence. Eventually she came across a group of people who were at the perimeter killing the build-up of walkers. A big man walked over to her.

"Tyreese," he held his hand out for her to shake and she took it. The brunette gestured to the people stabbing at the walkers "that's a rather nasty job".

"I know… something about killing them like this doesn't feel right… but it's gotta be done" he had a far off look in his eye while he said the words and Kate understood his meaning. She didn't like killing the dead either, no matter what they were now they had once been innocent people. Out in the world it was life or death, behind a fence it was a mindless bloodbath.

The man returned to his job miserably and Kate left, she didn't want to watch anymore. It wasn't just the sight of the killing it was the knowledge that no matter how many dead were slain more would come. Like the drip of water that starts the flood, the dead would keep coming until they were overpowered. She was certain that this prison would fall as the walkers bequeathed them with their relentless siege.

Her only decision now was whether to stay and try to stop the inevitable or leave and never look back. She remembered her last group, the friends she had made and the children she'd played with. The screams of _that night_ still haunted her dreams. Kate had tried to fight and hold off the dead as they had oozed into the camp but it had been chaos and eventually she'd found herself lost and alone searching for survivors that she would never find.

A flood of panic gripped her and she ran to her cell. _I can't stay, I can't do this_ she repeated over and over to the pounding of her heart. She began stuffing her belongings into her bag when an older woman who she couldn't remember the name of started hovering outside the room. "Dr S came looking for ya, wanted me to ask ya to go find him when ya came back".

Kate looked at the woman and asked "well did he say what he wanted?"

"I'm not sure sugar, he was _real_ disappointed not to see ya though..."

Kate rolled her eyes, the knowing look on the woman's face and the fact that Dr S was taking a keen interest in her only confirmed her ideas about leaving. She grabbed her bag and pushed past the woman and out of the prison block. She had to get away from this place quickly. She should never have followed Daryl that day in the woods.

* * *

As Daryl left the council meeting he lit a cigarette and sat on a nearby wall while he calmed down. He'd had enough of _Dr fucking S._ The man was testing what little patience he had left. Last night he had promised himself he would remain calm and stop _'actin like a little bitch'_.

But in another moment sent to challenge his resolve he spotted Kate striding across the fields with her hair whipping wildly behind her. Then he noticed the bag she was carrying and realised she was making her way to the exit. His stomach dropped and he threw down his cigarette while he jogged over to her. As he drew nearer she spotted him and picked up her pace.

"Just let me go!" she commanded him before he grabbed her wrist and halted her escape.

"An' where ya goin?" He should have known she would be trouble the minute he met her, only he would want a crazy, runaway, uppity woman like this.

"I told you before that I wouldn't stay… if you didn't listen that's on you… now let go of my arm!" she pulled away and he pulled her closer. There was no way he would let her leave this prison now.

"I aint lettin ya run off… even if ya are as stubborn as a goddamned mule" he laughed at her. She got a wild look in her eye as she splayed her fingers and pulled her arm away forcefully making it impossible for him to hold on. Miss Uppity strode off haughtily and he chased again and began to question if he could stop her, _was he really going to restrain her?_

* * *

As Kate tried to walk away Daryl stood in front of her like a giant wall. The hurt look on his face told her to stop trying to escape. She knew that fighting her feelings for Daryl was becoming impossible. So she let him clamp his hands on her shoulders and rest his brow on the top of her head. Being so close to him, the way his hands held her tight made her feel like she would melt into a puddle.

"Stay" he spoke so softly she barely heard the word.

Eventually she pulled away from his embrace so she could look in his face and tell him "yes".

"Ya promise?" he asked playfully, a smile warming his face and Kate nodded breathlessly. Then he eased her bag off her shoulder and on to his own. "Let me walk ya back _Miss Uppity_ " he purred as he gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, letting the back of his hand caress her arm as he brought it down. She didn't mind the name he'd previously used to insult her when he said it like _that_.

As they walked back to the cell block they passed a couple of women who laughed at them and whispered something to each other. The women had clearly seen the very public argument that Daryl and Kate had just performed. Kate was mortified and hoped that nobody else had seen them. Every interaction with the redneck was making her crazy. Kate wasn't the sort of woman to fight in the street she was always reserved and respectable. _God, what must these people think of me?_

* * *

Caleb wanted to see Kate. Firstly he needed to check her stitches and bandages but mostly he wanted to make sure he didn't make a complete fool out of himself last night. All evening he had sat laughing and joking with the brunette, she was his type. Intelligent and pretty, what red blooded man wouldn't want her?

When she told him she had studied medieval history at university and had been working on a museum exhibition he almost died right there and then. Thinking that with her long brown hair, cool English tones, and soft pale skin it was like she had jumped straight out of the tomb raider games he'd loved as a teenager. Then Caleb had looked at all the couples sat around the table, all of them brought together by the end of the world and he'd though that Kate could be his. _His beautiful English rose_. That maybe he didn't have to be lonely anymore.

So Caleb returned to Kate's cell block that morning and stood making idle conversation with Patricia. He really should have been in the infirmary doing a stock take, there was talk of some people going on a big run and they wanted a list of supplies that were running low. But all of that could wait until later he'd decided.

The Doctor saw Daryl first and then _her_. She had windswept hair and a flush of pink in her cheeks and Daryl was making her laugh. Then Caleb remembered running into the redneck when he was leaving Kate's cell, the look the man had given him. He realised now that he may be stepping on Daryl's toes in pursing the brunette. But the fact was she had sat with Caleb all evening and had barely spoken to the redneck. _No_ , he decided, _I'm not going to let Daryl scare me._

* * *

Daryl stood in the confines of her cell while she unpacked her holdall and he made her promise him again that she wouldn't "take off", he pointed to the cell door and joked that "he had the key". When Daryl reoffered to take her out hunting and checking snares for the afternoon she accepted. She knew that the more time she spent with him the more likely that he would crumble her resolve but she liked the feeling. The butterflies in her stomach when he was near made he feel 18 again.

Then Dr S 'knock knocked' outside the door and the playful mood was broken. The redneck looked like he wanted to gut the man who was saying he wanted to look over Kate's stitches. Was Daryl jealous of the attention that the good doctor was giving her? If he was she liked it.

"There isn't much privacy here" she whispered so only Daryl could hear. He cleared his throat and gave her a roguish smile "I'll meet ya outside in 10 minutes".

Kate sat on her bed and handed her arm to Caleb so he could look it over. But he didn't seem interested in her injury. Instead he knelt on one knee in front of her and held her hand affectionately "I wanted to apologise for being so forward last night, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable".

This conversation was making her uncomfortable. She'd been hoping he wouldn't bring it up, she certainly wouldn't have. "It's okay, I understand, in these situations emotions are… running high". Kate didn't want to make the man feel embarrassed. If she was going to live here she didn't need any awkward relationships with any of the group especially the doctor. "Sometimes people want to… seize the moment, we never know when it might be our last in this world" she thought idly of Daryl as she spoke the words.

Caleb had an intense look on his face as he started to tend to her arm and she wondered if she had upset him. He rewrapped her bandage in silence, nervously looking up at her every so often. When he had finished tending her he let out a heavy sigh. "Caleb…" Kate started to say but he placed his healing hands on either side of her face and straightened up from his crouched position bringing his lips to hers for a tender kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

Kate turned her face away from Caleb before their lips met and then wrenched herself from his grasp. She recognised that his romantic intensions were somewhat pure unlike the men who had tried to kidnap her but she still felt violated. She hadn't kissed a man since her husband. A kiss was a sacred thing to the brunette who had a long time ago forsaken the idea of ever giving her heart away again.

So she walked away without looking back or saying anything. The idea of upsetting the Doctors feelings didn't bother her anymore. She'd had a lifetime of playing nice and doing what others wanted her to do.

Kate knew that Daryl would be waiting for her outside and she wanted to run to him. She had only known him less than a week but whenever she was around him she felt so safe and accepted. She saw him standing where he said he would be with his arms crossed and hint of a smile on his lips as their eyes met. Her spirits lifted as she remembered it would just be the two of them for the rest of the afternoon. She wouldn't have to think about Caleb or anything else while she was with Daryl for when she was with him he encompassed all of her. _Mind, body and soul._

* * *

While Daryl waited for Kate, Glenn approached him to remind him that they had to "check out the big spot today". _Damn_ , he'd forgotten all about the supermarket that he had spotted a while back. The entrance of the place was fenced in and surrounded by walkers which meant that nobody had looted it yet. He'd made an opening in the chain link fence to let the dead escape so now it would likely to be "good to go".

"We need to ask a few more people to join, so far there's me, you, Sasha and … well the usual crew are having to help clear the fence,"

Daryl instructed Glenn to meet him by the vehicles. He had to talk to Kate first and he didn't want her to get any ideas about joining them on this run. He'd find her a nice safe job to do while he went out. Preferably laundry then she wouldn't even notice anyone leaving until it was too late. Despite the fact that the woman could take care of herself he still felt a need to try and protect her. Daryl laughed inwardly knowing that the brunette would hate him for thinking these things.

"Laundry?" Kate rolled her eyes, more disappointed than he thought she would be. "I wasn't a domestic goddess before the world ended I'm not going to start ironing anyone's underpants now" she said sarcastically while jabbing him in the chest. He tried to tell her 'we all have our jobs' like he'd heard Hershel say so many times but she was relentless.

"And what are you going to be doing then Mr Dixon?" he hadn't planned his excuse for not taking her out hunting like they had arranged. Stupidly he had assumed Miss Uppity would just do as he instructed without a second guess, why he had though that he wasn't sure.

"Hey Daryl, Glenn said I could join the run today but I had to check it with you" Zach shouted before Daryl could think of something to tell the brunette. Kate gave him one of her killer stares and raised one eyebrow questioningly. The redneck knew then that she would be joining the little expedition and he sighed unenthusiastically. Next time he'd have to think of a better plan if he was going to keep this woman safe.

* * *

Kate could tell that Daryl hadn't wanted her to go out with his people for the supplies but she didn't let it deter her. She wanted to be useful to the group and he could hardly expect her to hand in her weapons and never leave the prison again. She certainly wasn't going to stay and do laundry unless absolutely necessary. The idea of random peoples undergarments made her feel more repulsed than the walkers. Additionally, the idea of escaping from Dr S was still at the forefront of her mind.

Kate started to introduce herself to Sasha, she'd seen the woman before but this was the first time they spoke. It turned out she was the sister of the man, Tyreese, she had met earlier. After they had finished making small talk Kate noticed that Daryl was checking over the van, he looked so _manly_ and capable. The man could do no wrong.

When he moved to what she realised was _his_ motorcycle her heart skipped a beat and she couldn't take her eyes off him. He hadn't mentioned anything about a motorcycle but when she thought about it, _of course_ he would have one. It was just so Daryl Dixon, so _irresistibly sexy_. Kate fantasied about what it would be like to hop onto that motorcycle and feel his arms around her as they left the world of the dead behind. She gripped the hilt of her sword and felt the flush of desire kiss her cheeks and when he caught her staring she didn't turn away.

* * *

Daryl saw that Kate was watching him. Her hair was pinned off her face and she looked so wide eyed and beautiful. His eyes roamed over the curves of her figure before resting on the sword which looked so odd strapped to her hips. Then he looked once more into those doe eyes and he wondered briefly what she was thinking, did she have any idea what she was doing to him by just standing there _like that_.

Before they left the prison Michonne returned once again from her tireless search for the one eyed governor. Daryl was glad to see her back, maybe this time someone could convince her to stay? For now he was just happy that she was here to join the group heading out to the big spot. Michonne was a resilient woman and more than capable of watching his back and _Miss Uppity's._ He stole a glance back to Kate like he always did when she crossed his mind but disappointingly she was in the back of the car and he couldn't see her.

* * *

The whole ride to the Big Spot Kate was sat next to Zach who was talking nonstop about Beth and what a "nice girl" he thought she was. His gushing was the sickly sweet by-product of young love. As much as it made her slightly uncomfortable to listen to his musings it was sort of nice too.

"Maybe try and tone the romance back a bit kid" Tyreese told the young man eventually. "You're gonna make the rest of us look bad, am I right or what Glenn?"

The man driving the car just shook his head and laughed. Kate was in no position to judge Zach on his slight obsession with Beth. All she could do was think about the redneck riding on the motorcycle in front of them. Only she had the resolve to keep her thoughts to herself.

* * *

The plan to let the walkers out of the cage surrounding the Big Spot had worked wonderfully. Everyone made their way to the front of the store and Zach came up with another idea of what he supposed Daryl's occupation was before the walkers, "homicide cop". The kid had been trying to guess for the past six weeks and by now the redneck didn't know how to tell him the sorry truth.

"Officer Dixon… I could see that" Kate smirked enthusiastically, the way she was looking at him and the way she said his name with her clipped English accent went straight to his pants. He cleared his throat and tried to avoid entertaining the indecent thoughts that were entering his mind. It was time to enter the store so he had to concentrate on the task at hand. He'd think about the brunette later, maybe even _do something about it_.

* * *

The store was a great find with its rows and rows of shelves filled with supplies. Kate had been told to pick up "feminine supplies" by Daryl. He'd been the one to organise everyone and when he had given Kate her task he'd looked so deliciously uncomfortable that she'd pretended not to hear what he'd said and made him say it again.

She browsed the aisle casually, imagining for a brief moment that it was just a normal day before the world had ended. But it wasn't a normal day and in the blink of an eye the whole store erupted in chaos as half a helicopter and a roof full of dead joined the group. Kate automatically drew her medieval blade and brought it down on the skull of an unsuspecting walker.

She often spent a great deal of time examining the blade and sharpening it trying to imagine whose hands it had crossed in the 500 years since it had been forged. The sword had shed blood in wars raged many lifetimes ago eventually being confined to a museum, laid to rest forevermore. But then the world had ended. Suddenly it was no longer a relic it was once again crushing skulls and spilling blood. In her hands the weapon sang, gave her the feeling of power that she had read about in so many books and accounts.

As she hacked and slashed through the throng of dead she noticed Daryl and Zach freeing Bob from underneath a collapsed shelf. The brunette joined them, immediately chopping the arm off a hungry walker reaching for the young man. He gave her an appreciative nod and then they ran to join the retreat.

There was a huge crash as the rest of the helicopter and even more dead entered the store as they departed. "That was close," Kate panted to no one in particular as the _whole_ group made it through the chain linked fence and began to make their way to the vehicles.

* * *

Before Kate could get into the van Daryl slammed the door shut and told Glenn to "get on back to the prison". Luckily the man didn't question his motives and took off. Then he turned to Kate who was the only other person besides himself not in the van.

"Are you planning on abandoning me here Mr Dixon?"

Daryl sat on his motorcycle and smirked at Kate "Ya wanna go for a ride?"


	12. Chapter 12

The sun was low in the sky creating a crisscross of colour that weaved through the clouds and trees. Inviting her onto the motorcycle had been a spur of the moment decision. But _it was a good one_. The feel of Kate's arms clasped tightly around his waist and her squeals of delight as they sped along the road back to the prison made him want the moment to last forever. The sweet smell of Kate's skin intoxicated him every time he turned his head to breathe her in; she was like vanilla and roses.

Daryl imagined what she would taste like and wondered if he should just keep on going. Create their own little world together then he laughed internally at his plans. She'd only agreed to a motorcycle ride not to running off and making like they were the last man and woman left on the planet. But a man could dream. Recently all he did was fantasise.

The reality was that the group, his friends, _family_ , were probably waiting for their return. He wouldn't make them worry after what had happened at the Big Spot so he reluctantly turned onto the driveway of the prison. The journey was over too soon and when they made it back inside the safety of the fences the council were waiting for him like he had suspected.

Daryl helped Kate off the motorcycle, her hands were so small and delicate. It was difficult to remember that not an hour ago she had been wielding her sword like a warrior. She smiled with her eyes and bit her lip in the sultry way that could kill a man as easy as her blade. The way she looked at him made him feel like something had changed between them on that ride. As much as he wanted to follow the woman to _wherever_ she was going he reluctantly let go of her hand. It was an awkward farewell under the scrutiny of his friends.

When Kate was out of earshot, Tyreese who had stayed to talk with the council thumped Daryl on the back "you sly ol' dog" he hooted. Daryl tried to avoid eye contact with the shrewd looks and winks he was getting from some of the group and he took his seat casually. The redneck wasn't going to give them any more ammunition to torment him with. And he wasn't sure why exactly the idea of him being with a woman was _so damn funny_. Not to mention he hadn't even done anything, _yet_.

When the council meeting started properly there was a mixture of relief and disappointment that was felt by all. Everyone had made it back safely but they had barely managed to gather anything. Glenn had called the meeting to discuss their other options. Hitting up the Big Spot was supposed to get them enough supplies to last them for several months and when they had got in there all their presumptions had been correct. Which made losing the place to the dead even more harrowing.

"We need to focus on making ourselves more self-sufficient, find another horse, more livestock, plant more vegetables" Rick's idea of them being able to grow and rear their own food was idealistic. But where were they supposed to find all this livestock? Daryl finding the pig had been a stroke of luck and when it had a litter of piglets it was like hitting the jackpot. Then the idea of him and Kate off in the woods looking for sheep and horses had a certain attraction that made him warm to the idea. _They could go tomorrow._

* * *

When Daryl made it to Kate's room to make arrangements for the next day the lady in the adjoining cell told him that she'd "popped to the shower". He thought he might as well wait. There wasn't much else for him to do and he wasn't going to go off to bed without even seeing her. Their motorcycle ride was still nice and fresh in his mind, he hoped she had enjoyed it as much as he. Daryl lay on her bed with a devilish smile on his face. He'd make himself nice and comfy to _see what she would say about that_.

Stretching out on her bed knowing she was in the shower made his mind race and he began to imagine her walking into the room, only a towel wrapped around her perfect curves, beads of water weaving trails down her silky soft skin. In his fantasy she would be pleased to see him on the bed and bite her lip seductively while slowly letting the towel slip further and further down. He cleared his throat and told himself to _settle down._ He readjusted the pillows so he wasn't lying completely flat and a leather wallet dropped out onto the floor with a soft thud.

Daryl reached down to pick it up. He knew he probably shouldn't look, he had no business going through her belongings but curiosity got the better of him. Inside there were pictures, after a cursory glance at the first couple a realisation dawned on him. _Kate had a child_. It hit him like a bullet to the chest.

The first picture was a little boy standing on a beach in wellies and a raincoat and he was unmistakably Kate's son, the way his smile lit up his bright round eyes was just like her. Then if he had any doubts the second picture was of Kate holding a tiny naked baby, she had the exhausted, happy look of a woman who'd just given birth. She looked so beautiful and Daryl's heart ached. _She'd had another man's baby._

Daryl wanted to put the pictures away before he saw the rest, he felt so devious and guilty at even seeing one of the pictures. But he couldn't stop himself. The third picture showed the same little boy on his 1st birthday. He was standing in a garden wearing little blue dungarees and a party hat. In the background Daryl could see some bunting and balloons amongst the summer flowers. Kate was kneeling on the floor holding a big present out to her son, her face was turned to the person taking the picture and she was laughing.

It was like something from a magazine. Daryl had never had anything even close to what was in this picture. He thought of his own family and shuddered. There were no happy birthday photos of the Dixons, no happy photos. Daryl imagined briefly what it would be like to be the one taking this picture of Kate. Then he shoved the pictures back under the pillow before he saw anymore. He couldn't bare the idea of seeing her with some perfect smiling husband.

When Kate returned he was sitting on the edge of the bed feeling sick. He knew that he barely knew the woman but he had felt a connection with her the moment they had met. Why hadn't she told him any of this? What had happened to her son? He wasn't sure if he should admit that he'd seen the pictures.

"Is everything okay?"

He couldn't look at her, he felt terrible for seeing something that she was obviously trying to keep private. And terrible that he felt jealous, he couldn't help but not like the idea that Kate had been in love with a man and had a child with him.

"Carol had a daughter…"

Kate sat down, "What are you talking about?"

"Her name was Sophia, she was about Carl's age… we were on the road when a huge herd of walkers came..."

"What happened?"

"She ran off… I searched for her for days and days… but It didn't matter, it was already over and I was lookin' for nothin'" the brunette put her hand on his knee and squeezed it supportively then they sat for a long time in silence.

* * *

"You've seen my pictures haven't you?" Kate asked calmly.

"Yeah" Daryl replied quietly. She could tell that he was waiting for her to shout and get upset but she felt almost relieved.

"His name was Harry. He died… a long time ago, before the walkers. It was a car accident with my…" she hesitated, talking about Harry was one thing, talking about Ryan was another but she had to tell it _all or nothing_. "…husband Ryan". Daryl nodded, his expression unreadable.

"I um… Harry was a surprise. I was young and studying for my masters. By the time I realised I was pregnant I was already 18 weeks. I used to think, how can people not know they're pregnant? And then it happened to me," She scoffed and shook her head remembering her doctor saying that her "implant had moved" and "these things happen".

"Ryan proposed, I said yes and that was that…" Kate didn't want to go into too much detail of her marriage which she was backed into at 22 because there was no way she could go home to live with her parents.

"I didn't tell you because… I don't tell anyone… It's why I moved so far away from home. All the looks of pity people would give me…"

Daryl took her hand in his and she knew she didn't have to say anymore "I'm sorry that happened to you … but I'm glad I know". He turned her hand over and kissed her palm, it felt so comforting and Kate wanted so much more. She wrapped her arms around his body and placed her head over his chest so she could hear the steady rhythm of his heart. He pulled her closer and held her tightly and it felt so good, so right. His arms were strong and safe and his smell was _Daryl._ His own unique scent.

* * *

Kate felt so small and delicate in his arms. He buried his face in her glossy hair as she rested her head against him. She was so warm and real and he felt a knot in his stomach. He wanted every part of her to be his. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted a woman before. Then she looked at him with those big doe eyes and their faces were so temptingly close. Daryl resisted every urge in his body that told him to kiss her. He didn't want to take advantage or upset the woman and wondered fleetingly if she might want him to leave.

Then Kate slid her hands up his neck and buried them into his hair as she moved so that their lips were mere centimetres away and as she closed those big brown eyes her mouth found his. Daryl's heart pounded eagerly and he gripped her waist to pull her even closer. Her lips were as soft and perfect as he had imagined and the sensation of her whole body pressed against his made him feel like he would come undone. The kiss which had started so gentle became deep with their uninhibited desires. Eventually Kate pulled away from the kiss breathlessly and her eyes searched for acceptance in his. He caressed her face while savouring the moment; she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever kissed. Then he tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear and pulled her head closer so they could kiss again.

"Has anyone seen Daryl?" The sound of Rick shouting his name was like having a bucket of ice water poured on his head. _Goddammit_ Daryl groaned as he moved away from the brunette. He kissed her hand as he left the bed, she looked so deliciously enticing and he could hardly believe he had just had her mouth on his, her body against his. It was probably for the best that he left the room, the cell was hardly the most private venue for the _things he wanted to do._

"Goodnight Miss Uppity" he managed to say even though he was struggling to process anything coherent. His body was worked up to what felt like the point of no return and now he had to walk away. It was like the whole time he'd been starving and now he was only allowed one bite when he wanted the _whole damn plate._

"Good night Mr Dixon" she stood up from the bed and Daryl couldn't resist wrapping his arms around her and kissing her _one more time_ before he eventually had to let go "I'll see ya tomorrow bright an early". As he left the room to find Rick he felt like he could walk on air _._ Now he knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her and all he had to do now was not _fuck it up._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The sounds of screams sounded so real but it was just _The Dream_. Always the same. The darkness filled with all the faces dead and alive and then only dead. _Just wake up_ Kate's eyes opened but she could still hear the screaming. She rolled out of bed and grabbed her sword before edging to the fabric door of her cell. As she lifted the sheet and saw the mayhem outside of her room her brain snapped fully awake but the adrenaline that usually coursed through her veins didn't come. She froze as she watched the horrors unfurl. _Was this really happening?_

* * *

Daryl joined Rick and Glenn as they charged into cell block D, it was worse than he thought. There were walkers everywhere; he quickly took one out as he pushed forward. All he could think about was finding Kate, if anything had happened to her he didn't know what he would do. He couldn't see her as he dispatched the dead and began to fear the worst. He never got to have anything good in his whole life. Why would this be any different? He'd found her out there and now she was his she would be gone forever.

But then there she was, standing on the balcony in a daze. Their eyes met and Kate gripped the metal barrier and shook her head sadly before readying her sword and striding over to the nearest walker and spearing it right between the eyes. Daryl was torn away from watching Kate when he heard the cries for help of the little curly haired 8 year old called Luke. He grabbed the boy from the arms of a walker before locking him in a cell with a couple of others.

The hunter then carried on killing more of the dead while trying to evacuate the living. With Rick, Glenn and Carol by his side they were like an unstoppable killing machine honed by the countless skirmishes they had encountered since the beginning. The cell block was under control in what must have been a matter of minutes but it had somehow felt like hours.

Afterwards the scene of dead was heart breaking. Daryl knew these people, he'd brought many of them to live here. Told them it would be safe and now it was like everywhere else. He thought about Kate telling him that "everything turned to shit", _she was right_. Maybe he never should have brought her here; maybe it was safer to be on your own out there. But then he saw her comforting little Luke and he couldn't imagine not having her here. _Living was more than surviving._ Living was the way she had kissed him last night.

* * *

Kate was grateful when the little boy was taken away by Karen. Ever since Harry she didn't like to get too familiar with little ones, especially boys. They always seemed to do something that would remind her of her own son. Then she'd have to relive the idea that she would never see him again and no matter how much time passed it was always just as painful.

The brunette then noticed Daryl. He ran his fingers through his hair as he surveyed the cell block, he looked so disappointed. Kate knew he was the sort of man that would put the responsibility of what had happened on his own shoulders. Although she couldn't help but feel it was her fault, everything had been going well for the group until she had arrived. She knew it was superstitious and completely ridiculous to believe that she had brought 'bad luck' to this place but the idea did cross her mind.

Daryl saw that she was watching him and made his way over to her. He wrapped his strong arms in a tight bear hug that lifted Kate off the floor. She buried her face into his chest and enjoyed the sensation of being held by someone as strong and dependable as the mountain man. "I'm okay" she half smiled as he let her go.

"Ya sure? Ya looked like you kinda froze for a minute up there"

"You're right" Kate exhaled sharply, she wasn't entirely sure why she had just stood there like that. Only that when she had seen Daryl it had brought her back out of her trance "It was a shock. Like it was all happening again..." They hadn't really spoken much about the other groups and people that they had lost but they both knew the feeling well.

"I know" he scooped her back up into an even tighter hug and stroked her hair gently. When he let her go this time he gave her an appreciative look across her body. Suddenly Kate realised she was still wearing the little cami and knickers she had gone to bed in, no shoes, no bra not much of anything. Just underwear and a blade, _I knew I should have slept in my leggings_ she thought indignantly while she hopelessly tried to pull her vest down to lengthen it.

His eyes on her made her feel like she may as well be naked and she felt her cheeks flush "I should get dressed, excuse me". He laughed and raised his eyebrows "I think ya look mighty fine as ya are ma'am" which caused the redness of her cheeks to deepen. That southern accent that he had was like nothing else and when he called her 'ma'am' _oh dear god that was so charming_.

Kate turned to go to her cell before she let the redneck affect her any more than he already had. Then she spotted Dr S standing by Rick who was examining a body. Except Caleb wasn't looking at the dead, he was looking at her and Daryl. He caught her eye and she looked away quickly, it was _so very awkward_. How long had he been watching them? Her face must have been like a tomato she felt so embarrassed.

"You betta' go move ya stuff outta here we'll have to get this place cleaned up before anyone's sleepin' here again".

Kate glanced back to Daryl as he spoke the words and then she took her leave, practically running back to her room. Facing the doctor this morning was on the bottom of her wish list, especially after last night. She sighed dreamily as she remembered the kiss she had shared with the redneck. It had felt even better than she had thought possible. Her body had never reacted so enthusiastically to a man before.

The brunette knew she was attracted to him, every innocent touch they had shared since they met had sent a little shock of electricity bursting through her body. When they had kissed it was like she had been set on fire. _Kissing Daryl was so very very nice_. But even so Kate now found herself second guessing it. This was moving so fast, too fast. She barely knew the man. What was it about the redneck that made her throw caution to the wind? Last night she had been ready to give into her desires without thinking about the consequences. As much as she liked Daryl was she really prepared to risk a _pregnancy_? She knew what that would entail all too well.

* * *

Seeing Kate with her messy hair and bare legs had certainly distracted the redneck from all the horrors that had just taken place. When he'd held her he didn't care who had seen, he wanted her to be his. In a way she already was, that kiss last night had cemented all the ideas and feelings he had been having over the brunette since he had met her.

He didn't imagine he'd have it in him to be some kind of soppy fool but with Kate it was different. She wasn't exactly the kind of girl that he and Merle had met at the motorcycle bars they had frequented. Daryl couldn't recall ever taking a woman out to dinner or buying her flowers, but that was the kind of romancing Kate was probably used to. The kind of romancing she deserved. He laughed as he thought about handing her a nice string of dead squirrels. _Maybe not._

Then he looked at the blood on the ground and realised where he was and that he had a job to do, there'd be no time for flowers and squirrels today. He found Rick who was with _Dr Fucking S_ "Hey Daryl look at this," Rick pointed to the boy, Patrick. He had no bites, must have died of natural causes. Then they went to look at the man, Charlie who had locked himself in his cell to stop from wandering round when he was sleepwalking. He didn't have any bites either so that was two natural deaths.

"Look at the eyes" Caleb pointed out "I've seen this sort of thing before, it's a virus, some strain of flu".

Daryl and Rick exchanged a glance that spoke a thousand words and the one that summed them all up was "fuck". A virus? It wasn't something that they could just kill, outrun or outsmart. Then Daryl looked at Dr Fucking S, it looked like maybe their lives could be in his hands.

By the time Daryl made his way outside disaster was striking again. The fence was being breeched by the uncontrollable amount of walkers pushing on it. Sasha pointed to the ground and the redneck could see a pile of dead rats. _What the hell?_ His brain went into overdrive as he realised that somebody was feeding the monsters at the gate, luring them here, causing them to group together so effectively.

Then Rick decided that they had to slaughter the piglets to lure the walkers away. Daryl could see how much it affected the man. All the plans he had been making about becoming self-sufficient were disappearing like smoke in the wind. _God I need a smoke._

As he dealt methodically with one crisis and then the next all he could think about was Kate, her soft lips, her bright eyes and those legs that he had managed to see this morning, _damn_. Every desirable part of her swam around his mind and he fantasised on the idea of them running away together which was even sweeter after their kiss.

* * *

On Daryl's orders Kate once again packed up her belongings, looking at her photos briefly before stashing them away. She'd dressed in her usual black jeans and flannel shirt combo and was putting on her boots when Dr S entered her room. She didn't look up, instead stared at her boots, trying to drag out the process of fastening them. But he just sat there waiting, she couldn't see his face but she could feel his eyes on her.

"It's a flu, the boy… Patrick, he must have died from it last night along with another man, Charlie"

Kate looked at him after he had said the words and his expression was troubled. "Stay away from anyone who looks sick… coughing, sneezing, make sure you wash your hands and try not to touch your face".

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I like you, even if you don't like me…" he smiled at her and she felt a little guilty. But then his smile faded into a hard stare as he chocked out "Daryl Dixon?" incredulously.

"What about him?" Kate asked coolly, she wasn't going to discuss her personal life with the man.

"Nothing… Just remember what I told you" and with that he left. She let out a long sigh and felt like crawling back into bed but there was much to be done.

Kate helped Glenn and Maggie with the miserable task of burying the bodies. They all dug in silence as the hot sun beat down torturously making it almost unbearable. She didn't count the graves they dug that day but there were many. _Too many._

When all the dead were laid to rest she made her way to the shower block to wash all the death and grime off her skin and try to forget about everything, if that was at all possible. She grabbed a book from her bag and made her way to the outdoor kitchen. She was starving and had a yearning for a nice comforting cup of tea. Although she knew from previous inspection that there was none of the English breakfast tea she craved.

At the kitchen people were talking about the flu that Caleb had told her about and someone said that "Karen and David are sick now too". _So much for forgetting about everything_ , she mused as she began to worry about the two people she barely knew.

A virus that killed people was nothing to be trifled with, _was this going to be the end for them all_? In the past before modern medicine something as simple as a cut from a thorn could kill a person. Now just like then there would be no tetanus boosters. And Spanish flu killed more people in one year than the Black Death did in one hundred. She thought about the expression on Caleb's face when he had spoken to her earlier, he obviously thought that this was going to get worse before it got better.

"Are you gonna read it?" The woman asked.

"Pardon?" Kate was lost in thought and didn't hear what the person who approached her had said.

"The book" The woman who's name Kate couldn't remember said "Are you gonna read it?"

"I'm not sure" Kate shrugged "I used to read this book every year… but now… it seems kind of stupid" she wasn't even sure why she had brought it down with her.

"Read it to the group, we could use some entertainin' and your voice is kinda soothing"

She looked around and some people had picked up the conversation and were nodding in encouragement. Kate did a lopsided smile and swallowed hard "okay".

"Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen" she read the title and looked at the faces gathered in the group. They didn't waver, they wanted her to continue. Then far in the back, half covered in shadow she saw Daryl Dixon and he was listening too. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a _wife_." This was ridiculous post-apocalyptic reading to be certain but it felt good just the same. She had a small smile on her face as she thought about just how different Mr Dixon was to her romantic hero Mr Darcy.


	14. Chapter 14

Kate reading to the group was mesmerising. It was like listening to her voice how it was supposed to be heard. All the fancy words and the fancy story, he could listen to her all night. Even if the pride and prejudice book was one of the most stupid things he'd ever heard. Bunch of silly women fawning over marriage and some man's 4000 pounds per year, was this romance? Was this what the brunette liked? He wasn't sure.

He studied her as she read, the way those delicate hands held the book, the stands of hair falling out of her ponytail and the way she glanced at him with a shy smile every time she turned the page. _Damn she was pretty_ and he would do whatever it took for her to be his beyond a single kiss. If the woman wanted romance he supposed he might find it in himself to step up to the challenge, redneck style.

The group begged Kate for one more chapter every time she made to put the book away and eventually she had to promise that she would read again tomorrow night. Then the brunette made her way over to him like he hoped she would.

"Don't have no 4000 a year but I could keep a women well fed on squirrels, maybe even find her a tin or two of beans" he said sarcastically, mocking the story she had been reading.

"Are you in want of a wife Mr Dixon?" she smiled coyly, using the phrase that he recognised from the book and he almost fell off his chair. He felt his face redden unexpectedly. He was supposed to be teasing her. She laughed softly at his reaction and looked so pleased at his blushing. But this only made him feel bolder. Daryl stood up and closed the space between them, "I want you" he breathed down her ear.

* * *

The words he spoke made her feel like jelly and all her previous worries about moving too fast with Daryl seemed inconsequential. Her breath was caught in her throat and she couldn't speak as he moved away slightly and gave a roguish smile.

"Cat got ya tongue?" he raised his eyebrows knowing that he had won their little tete-a-tete. She looked away annoyed that she couldn't think of anything good to say which made Daryl let out a satisfied laugh that made her even more annoyed.

Then they both stood there in the middle of the kitchen surrounded by people and not knowing what to do next. She started to feel like a teenager again and it was exciting. Being with Daryl was the perfect way to forget about all the horrors that had taken place today and all the horrors that would surely take place in the future.

"So what now Mr Dixon?" she finally broke their silence.

"I don't know" he chuckled hesitantly running his fingers through his hair. "Ya wanna practice with ya cross bow?"

"In the dark?"

"Sure, it's not so dark… we have some dummies we made for gun practice"

"Okay" Kate nodded willingly. It was still a couple of hours before everyone usually settled down to bed and why not spend them doing target practice? _It could be fun_. Then she eyed Daryl carefully, _was this some sort of date?_ Date. That was a ridiculous idea. And then she realised that they would likely be on this 'date' alone, flirting in public was one thing but when it was just the two of them? Could she control herself? Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as if in answer to her question.

* * *

Practicing shooting had been the only thing he could come up with on the spot. But when he thought about it the idea was perfect. The could shoot, have a drink, maybe even make a wager or two away from all the prying eyes of the people at the communal areas. And he was sick of walkers, death and misery. He wanted to forget all about it tonight and let loose like they had done in the apartment, only this time maybe they could do more than talk…

Kate had gone to retrieve the crossbow while Daryl found the bottle of bourbon that he had stashed away for the _right_ occasion. _This could get real interesting_ he mused, feeling excited by their previous conversation. Although the kiss they had shared last night now seemed so long ago and he wasn't sure if he was allowed to go in for another one.

Kate was back by his side quicker than expected "What now mountain man?" she asked. His mind went blank at the simple question, he was still thinking about kissing her and everything she said sounded so suggestive. He eventually took the crossbow from her, grazing his fingers along hers unnecessarily. "This way ma'am"

Daryl led the way to where the dummies were and took a seat while he explained the basics of the weapon before he passed it back to Kate and asked her to "load a bolt yourself". The brunette bit her lip in concentration as her delicate hands repeated what Daryl had just showed her. Watching her do the simple task was enthralling to the redneck, he couldn't get enough of her no matter what she was doing.

When the crossbow was loaded and ready she smiled brightly "is this right?" He swallowed hard and took a deep breath as he leaned in to her sweet vanilla scent and checked over her work. It felt good just being close to Kate and he enjoyed teaching her. "Let's try a practice shot" Daryl declared as he stood up and held his hand for her to take. Every time he found an excuse to touch Kate his heart beat a little faster, he wondered if hers did too.

The hunter pointed out the dummy to Kate. Then he stood slightly behind her right shoulder, his arms encompassing her as he adjusted the weapon into the correct hold. Then he brought his body closer to hers as he checked the sight was aligned and whispered "pull the trigger, real gentle". He closed his eyes as he enjoyed the way she felt in his arms and how the softness of her hair tickled his face. Then she fired the crossbow and he was impressed, Miss Uppity was a natural.

After Kate had practiced a few more shots of the crossbow Daryl decided to reveal the bottle of bourbon and two cups. "Let's make this a little interesting... You hit the mark I have a shot, you miss you take a shot and so on" he suggested with a wicked grin.

Kate eyed the bottle with suspicion and looked like she was going to say 'no'. "Ya scared I'll win?" he goaded her and immediately her expression changed. She had that familiar wild look in those big brown eyes and he knew that she wouldn't refuse an outright challenge.

"I'm not scared Mr Dixon! It's just with everything that's happened today…" he understood what she was talking about and maybe it wasn't the wisest idea to be having a drink. But what had happened in cell block D this morning had only made him realise how precious time was and he didn't want to waste it dwelling on the walkers. When had he become so _damn responsible_ anyway? "I don't wanna think about all o' that" he poured a shot and swallowed it while keeping his eyes on her. She took the bottle and relented, pouring herself a drink "as you wish Mr Dixon".

After a couple of rounds of the game it was becoming quite clear who was winning "is this how a good ol' fashioned southern boy gets a girl drunk? I'm not sure I like this game" she spoke attempting to mimic his accent.

"There are other things we could wager" He was feeling brave now. He admired the curves of her body, the tight jeans that left little to the imagination and the shirt was unbuttoned low enough that he could glimpse a little of what was underneath. _Goddamn_.

"Oh really? And what would you suggest Mr Dixon?" she put her hand on her hip and sauntered over to him.

"Well money's no good an we share out all our supplies with the group…" he cleared his throat "that really only leaves one thing…" Could he even suggest what he wanted to say? They were having fun and he felt like anything could happen so he dared to ask "we could play a sorta version of… strip poker?"

* * *

Kate spat out her drink she could hardly believe the words that were coming out of Daryl's mouth. But what was more surprising was the way they excited her, how far into their cups were they? "Well it hardly seems fair to make such bets against a woman who has barely practiced with a bow" she reasoned with him buying herself time while her mind conjured up images of them both taking off their clothes. Her body was screaming yes while a tiny voice in her mind told her no.

"Depends who you're askin'" he winked.

"We should move your target even further" she picked up the target and sauntered over to the far edge of the fence. _Was she going to play this game?_

"That's a damn near impossible shot…" he looked at her with a cocky smile.

The merry feelings flowing around Kate's body inspired her, she wanted to go further with Daryl but she knew that she shouldn't. _I'll let fate decide_. The redneck began to raise his bow, his finger was squeezing the trigger when Kate leaned closer and whispered "if you make this shot I'll sleep with you". The arrow flew straight over the fence and Daryl chocked on air.

Kate downed the last of her drink "too bad" she tried to sound casual as she sashayed away. The realisation of her words had sobered her somewhat; _did I really just say that?_ Kate was mortified, she wanted to get away as quick as possible and silently prayed that neither of them would remember the conversation come morning.

* * *

Daryl wasn't going to let Kate get away so fast, especially after what she had just suggested. But first he reloaded the crossbow to try the shot again; sure enough he hit the target easily. He didn't bother to reclaim the bolts. Instead he threw the bow on the ground and chased after her. "Whatcha runnin' off for?" he pulled her back playfully. Kate was obviously embarrassed at what she had said and she blushed furiously, avoiding eye contact.

"I was enjoyin' the game…" Daryl didn't want the night to end, not without a kiss. He knew she wanted it too. He just wasn't sure why she was fighting it. He would never understand women.

"I think we've both had a little too much to drink… Mr Dixon" she swayed lightly as she pointed at him before biting that perfect lip. In truth he hadn't wanted them to get so intoxicated but one thing had led to another and his tolerance levels to liquor weren't what they once were.

She looked so beautiful in the moonlight. It was now or never. He wanted _one kiss_. Daryl moved closer to her before he had a chance to let his mind catch up to what his body was doing. He held Kate's face between both his hands and kissed her deeply. Her body wilted into his as she surrendered to his embrace. His body fired up eagerly and he knew that one kiss wouldn't satiate his longing.

Daryl's tongue explored her mouth as his hands roamed down her figure before finding their way to her perfect arse, he gripped her there as he picked her off the ground. The legs that had been running through his mind all day were now wrapped tightly around his torso and she was pressed perfectly against his hardness. Daryl groaned and lent her back against the prison wall to gain a greater purchase as his mouth made its way down her jaw and onto the curve of her neck.

Kate gasped "Daryl" breathlessly as one of his hands found her breast and she pressed her body even closer, the way she said his name was so involuntarily erotic. He thought his heart might pound out of his chest and the stiffness in his jeans strained for release like he had never felt it before. He wanted to have her right here and now.

But then the sounds of voices not too far away reminded Daryl that they were in a very public walkway making it frustratingly impossible for him to give into his desires. If he wasn't so intoxicated he would have taken her back onto his bike and sped off into the night to find a better location. The prison was as romantic as it was private. _Romantic_ he almost laughed at out loud, when did he get so soft? They had spent all night getting drunk and now he was worried about romance.

Then he looked into those big brown eyes and as much as it pained him to admit, he didn't want her like this. She was more than a little bit tipsy, if they were going to be together he wanted her to be lucid. He needed to know for sure that she wanted him as much as he desired her. He wanted her so very bad.

Daryl set Kate on the ground and placed his hands either side of her on the wall and let out a painful sigh. Kate looked so petite and vulnerable as he enclosed himself around her "let me walk ya back to yer room" he rasped using all his strength not to pick her up and throw her down in the nearby field like he was some kind of barbarian.

She looked a little confused at his words which only made it more difficult to follow through with his decision. He offered her his arm and she took it, resting her head against him lightly as and he walked her back to her cell. It felt so good walking with her like this. When it was time to bid her "goodnight" Daryl didn't dare share one more kiss with the brunette. He suspected that if their lips met again he wouldn't be able to stop himself from going further. _Not tonight_ , he commanded his body and reluctantly turned from Kate's room. She was going to kill him but it would be the sweetest way to die.


	15. Chapter 15

As Kate woke up the memories of last night flooded her mind causing an acute pang of shame to grip her. _I acted like a complete hussy._ She'd practically thrown herself at her favourite redneck and he'd been the one to stop their kisses before they went any further. _What did that mean?_ Naturally she assumed the worst and wasn't sure if she could ever face Daryl Dixon again. From the noises outside her room Kate could tell it was already late in the morning meaning she had overslept and had no choice but to drag herself from the safety of her bed. How she hated to get out of bed.

"I could use some help at the fence with the build-up," Maggie called to her as she made her way from the cell block. Kate died a little inside, the idea of mindlessly stabbing the walkers was depressing and with her hangover it was going to be a sickly torture. Although Kate decided she probably deserved it since she had acted like a complete drunken fool and needed to atone for her irresponsibility. The two women walked together and picked the spot where the dead were at their worst and began the nasty task.

They worked in silence for a long time but Kate could tell that there was something on Maggie's mind. "Glenn's sick" Kate was unsure how to respond, after Harry's accident whenever people had tried to offer comfort they had usually ended up infuriating her with their well-meant words. "I'm sorry", it was the only genuine thing to express. She didn't want to give false hope or casually brush off Maggie's legitimate worries.

Maggie made her way closer to Kate "Tyreese found Karen and David this morning… someone had killed them and burned their bodies… because they were sick".

"That's terrible," Kate gripped Maggie's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The two women looked at each other sadly and then the farmer's daughter went back to killing the dead. There were no words in this world to make right all or any of the wrongs.

Kate looked over her shoulder towards the prison and wondered where Daryl was and what he was doing. _Maybe he's avoiding me?_ Even in the middle of a crisis all she could think about was the redneck. He was like her port in the storm and she prayed that she hadn't ruined things between them.

They had cleared most of the dead when Carol came over and asked Maggie to join her for a council meeting before telling Kate "Take care of a few more of the walkers then they need more water in the infirmary… can you manage that?" The patronising way the older woman said the words left her speechless and she found herself rooted to the spot watching the women walk away. Then Kate looked back towards the prison that Daryl loved so much and felt all over again that she didn't belong.

* * *

After dealing with Tyreese and the burnt bodies Daryl wanted nothing more than to get away. "I'm gonna head out an check the snares" he told Rick as he grabbed his crossbow and made a hasty retreat. He would have brought Kate but Carol had told him that the woman "was still sleeping" his friend was pissed at the fact and Daryl felt a little guilty for causing Kate to get on the wrong side of Carol.

He decided that being out on his own wouldn't be so bad, being near the brunette wasn't the easiest thing for Daryl at the moment. He was wound up tighter than an 8 day clock no matter how much he relieved the pressure. The woman was half pleasure, half pain and he couldn't get enough. He's spent the whole morning half regretting his decision to walk away from Kate last night. He wasn't quite sure what had come over him but he was almost certain that if the time ever came for them to _be intimate_ it would be better for the wait. Delayed gratification just wasn't an idea he was used to.

He returned empty handed from his excursion and found that Hershel had been looking for him. "We're gonna have a council meeting, decide what needs to be done" the old man told him and they both made their way to meet the others. Or what was left, Sasha, Glenn and Dr S were all sick now too. Daryl hated losing people, especially like this. _It was just a fuckin' cold_. He thought about Kate, _would she get sick?_ He would do whatever it took to fight this thing.

When Hershel told the council about a veterinary college that might have the antibiotics strong enough to fight the deadly virus Daryl was first to volunteer. But the place was 50 miles away so he would likely need some help. Michonne agreed to go and together they decided who else would accompany them. Bob the army medic was chosen to take the third spot on the four man team, leaving space for one more.

In many ways Kate was an obvious choice, she was strong, smart and Daryl trusted her but who was he kidding? As capable as he knew the brunette was it was always going to be his preference if she stayed in the safety of the fences. With that in mind he suggested "Tyreese" to Michonne. The man was going half mad on a rampage looking for Karen's killer and certainly needed the distraction.

As Michonne, Bob and Tyreese finished loading the car for their trip Daryl made an excuse so he could slip away for a few minutes to talk to Kate. He hadn't actually seen her all day even though she had been in almost all of his thoughts. The redneck looked all over the prison before he found her furiously pumping water. He watched her for a few moments. She had the wild pissed off expression that Daryl loved as she kicked the pump that was always a pain in the arse to get working.

"Don't go breakin' the damn thing woman " he called to her as he made his way to her side and took over pumping the water with success. He saw her roll her eyes as he finished filling up the bucket and laughed to himself at her stubbornness. "Yer lookin' a little green this morning'… or afternoon… shouldn't let ya drink so much next time" he teased her with a wicked smile.

* * *

"I think I may have overindulged somewhat" Kate felt exposed, she could barely look him in the eye as she remembered the way his hands had touched her body and now he was laughing at her. Daryl was obviously very pleased with himself and Kate wanted to pour the bucket of water over his smug head but then his expression turned serious. "I'm gonna be takin' a team out to get some meds, might take a couple of days…" he hesitated and ran his fingers through his hair "I wanted to see ya… before I left".

A million thoughts raced through Kate's mind and she felt a huge knot in her stomach, the idea of his leaving made her feel like she was going to be sick. Daryl took her hand in his and rubbed his finger lightly over her knuckles, the small caress sent a wave of tingles down her spine "Help keep this place together" he said.

"I could help you out there"

"Not this time Miss Uppity" Daryl smirked and she could tell he was attempting to lighten the mood.

Kate moved closer to the redneck and placed her hands on his solid chest and breathed him in a little before she looked him in the eye and found the courage to say "Last night… I overindulged…" God, saying this would be more difficult than she thought "But I knew what I was doing… what I wanted". There it was. Kate had admitted she wanted him in broad daylight; there was nowhere to hide from her confession. If he rejected her she would… _definitely throw the bucket of water on his head_.

* * *

 _What she wanted_ , the woman sure chose her moments. He'd be leaving shortly and couldn't make good on what she was suggesting. Daryl now regretted that she wouldn't be joining him on the road trip. He wanted to keep her by his side and make sure she didn't change her mind. But it was too late for that now so he just pulled her into an embrace and buried his face in her neck as he held her tight. He never wanted to let go. How was it that the world was falling apart but his life had never been sweeter than this moment?

"Promise you'll return" she whispered against his chest. He thought about what Kate had said about everyone dying and didn't want to let her down no matter what it took. "I'll come back... always do… ya can't get rid of me that easy, woman" and then he gently kissed those perfect pink lips. One kiss would have to be enough this time. "I'll see ya later… Miss Uppity" he turned and left vowing that this would be the last time he walked away from her like this.

* * *

It was painful to watch the redneck leave but Kate managed to stop herself from causing a scene. Everything that had happened in the past couple of days had left the brunette with a deep sense of foreboding in the pit of her stomach. Goodbyes in this world were never easy and this one felt like the worst of them all. She had admitted her ' _feelings'_ and now she was almost certain something bad would happen, something bad always happened whenever anything went right.

Kate pushed every single thought out of her mind, dwelling and worrying wouldn't change anything. That was a lesson that she had learned long ago and many times since. She picked up the buckets of water and made her way to where the sick were in cell block A, Carol was waiting for her "I told you to bring the water almost an hour ago" she criticised angrily.

"Well I was finishing clearing the walkers at the fence … like you asked" Carol snatched one of the buckets out of her hand and knocked on the cell block door and then she took the second one just as forcefully before placing them both on the floor. Kate felt like a naughty child. "You're going to have to help me prepare some food for these people" the older woman ordered as she walked away and Kate followed her reluctantly. She hated confrontation.

At the kitchen Kate stood by awkwardly as Carol started pulling together all the ingredients and utensils. "We'll make a soup" the woman said as she banged a box of onions down in front of the brunette. Kate began chopping carefully trying not to let the aroma make her cry. That was the last thing she wanted to do in front of Carol with the way she was behaving.

Every so often their eyes met and the older woman would scowl and look away. Kate tried to recall everything she knew about the woman and her actions the brief few times they had met, wondering if she was always this angry or if she was just mad at her. Kate decided to be direct no matter how uncomfortable that made her "have I done something to upset you?"

"I saw you and Daryl last night," she felt her face turn a bright shade of red at Carol's words, had she saw their kiss? Kate wanted the ground to swallow her. "You were both drinking and messing around… you're distracting him from what's important". Maybe she hadn't seen the kiss after all? "Daryl needs to stay focused… he risks so much out there and in here. He works so hard and this group relies on him".

"I know what he does for the group" Kate tried to remain calm.

"Yet you have him chasing after you… plenty of women would be very happy to have Daryl" Carols' gaze was hard as she inspected Kate. The English woman got the distinct impression that Carol was referring to herself in the statement. "He deserves… to have what he wants" she emphasised the words.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying give him what he wants… or leave"

Kate felt her face flare in a mixture of anger and embarrassment, was Carol really suggesting that she give herself to Daryl like she was some reward for his good behaviour. "If you think that Daryl would want a woman to submit to him like that then I think you don't know the man at all!" Kate slammed her knife onto the table. Her adrenaline was pumping around her body and she had never wanted to have a physical fight with someone as much as now. But then she looked Carol up and down and felt sorry for her, was this the way that she thought a woman should be treated?

Kate walked away before things got any uglier and found a quiet spot at the furthest edge of the fence. She felt more alone now than she had before she came to this prison. Tears pricked her eyes and she let them fall, sobbing silently as she thought about every awful thing that had happened to her. She didn't want Daryl to add to that list. Carols words had tainted her feelings for him and she loathed the woman.

The sun had set and Kate's quiet place had been discovered by a couple of walkers. A reminder that the dead were never too far away and nothing worthwhile would ever be easy.


	16. Chapter 16

Kate and Maggie were preparing food for the people that had been put in isolation to stop them getting sick. It was mostly children, along with Beth who was responsible for looking after baby Judith. Rick and Carol approached them and Kate silently seethed as she looked at the woman. They had managed to avoid each other all morning and she prayed that they could keep their distance for the rest of the day. "I'm gonna go on a run with Carol… try and see if we can find some medicine a little closer" Rick said.

"You don't think they'll come back?" Kate interrupted, Daryl hadn't returned last night but she had remembered him saying he might be gone a couple of days. Surely Rick hadn't given up hope?

"I didn't say that… but we need to be prepared, you and Maggie make sure the fence doesn't breech and keep an eye on the sick, we don't want to repeat what happened in cell block D".

"We will" answered Maggie. Kate was just grateful that Carol would be leaving. "You finish up the food and I'll go get the gate for Rick," Maggie told her and the three of them walked away.

"Need any help?" it was Zach, ever since the trip to the big spot Kate had a soft spot for the goofy teenager and was glad to see that he still wasn't sick. "You could you fill up the water tanks" she suggested.

"Daryl will be back," he'd obviously overheard the conversation and she wondered briefly why he mentioned the redneck in particular. He gave her a coy smile and she decided he was shrewder than she gave him credit for.

* * *

Later in the evening Rick came back from the run without Carol. Maggie and Kate shared a curious glance to each other, had she died? Kate wasn't so spiteful that she would wish anything bad to happen to the woman. Rick wasted no time in declaring that it was Carol who killed Karen and David, that he'd found her a car and some supplies and asked her to leave. Then he thrust a bag into the English woman's hands and told her to "take this medicine to the sick."

Carol had killed Karen and David? Kate's head spun as she walked to Cell Block A and she wondered how Daryl would react to the news since he obviously had a close friendship with the woman. Yet Kate couldn't help but feel selfishly pleased that Carol wasn't a problem for her anymore.

When she reached A Block she gave a knock on the door and Sasha's face appeared behind the glass window in the door, the way she looked was shocking. Kate held up the bag of medicine before placing it on the floor and stepping back. Sasha opened the door and picked up the bag giving a quick look at its contents before she began to turn away.

"I'd like to speak to Caleb," Kate said. She realised that she had no idea what was actually going on in here and wanted to see if she could _lend a hand._

"I'll tell him but you need to go to the viewing window at the back," Sasha motioned in the direction of where she meant and Kate turned to leave not wanting to see anymore. It was difficult to witness such a strong woman as Sasha was look so feeble. She couldn't help but think that it could just as easily be her.

Kate waited at the viewing window anxiously for almost 20 minutes before Dr S came into view. When she saw his sickened face she gasped in shock, nobody had told her he was ill and it stupidly didn't occur to her that he would be. "What can I do to help?"

He laughed darkly as he leaned one hand on the glass to hold himself up while he thought on her question, "tell me… why Daryl and not me?"

"Do you really want to be talking about this… right now?"

"Why not? Things aren't looking too good and it might surprise you what you'll think about when the end draws near…"

"Don't say that" Kate stood right by the glass, he surely couldn't mean what he was saying. But then as she looked at his clammy face and reddening eyes she realised he looked even worse than Sasha had. She placed her hand on the glass over where his was, but she didn't know who she was trying to comfort, the doctor or herself?

"I haven't seen anyone make it past the last stages of the sickness and survive… so now I find myself wondering why him and not me?"

Ever since she had met Daryl Dixon she had asked herself the same question. All she knew was that there had been an irresistible pull inside of her. It led her to him like a mountain stream to the ocean. In some ways they were so very different, like two sides of a coin. But deep down she felt an indescribable familiarity to the redneck, a recognition. She tried to recall a quote from Wuthering Heights, she'd found it so romantic when she had read it as a young girl and vowed to remember it always. "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" Kate said aloud with a dreamy smile.

As she looked at Caleb she felt a huge wave of guilt, he was so sick and vulnerable and she was just laying it on thick with that quote. She didn't know if she even meant it really, did she really think that Daryl was some kind of soul mate. _Why did I say that?_

Before she could back track her words Rick walked in and asked Dr S if he could speak to Hershel. Caleb nodded and started to leave. "Don't give up," Kate called to him but he just kept on walking and she let out a regretful sigh, the conversation hadn't gone the way she'd hoped. She had wanted to help the man not hurt him. Yet again she wanted the ground to swallow her.

"Go start helping Maggie reinforce the fence," Rick instructed bringing her from her thoughts and she did as she was told, hoping that Dr S would find a way to pull through the sickness.

* * *

The two women started to chop the logs which they were using to strengthen the fence and it was a gruelling process. The axes were hardly the sharpest tools the brunette had ever encountered and her strikes on the log were questionable. She couldn't seem to hit the same area twice and cursed the "bloody log". Then she looked at the horde of dead pushing on the fence and chopped double time.

Ricked eventually joined the women and together they tried their best to cut the logs and then push them up against the fence where it was bowing. "Rick, I don't think this is going to work," Kate shouted. "Maybe someone should go and distract them, they're never going to stop trying to get in if they can see us here". The thought had occurred to her that they should cover the inside fence with sheets or something similar so the dead couldn't see into the compound but it was too late for any of that now and her hand gripped the hilt of her sword, seeking reassurance that it was still there. She moved to chop another log as the three of them began discussing their best move.

A shot rang out and Kate's stomach sank, it was coming from inside the prison. "Go," Rick shouted to Maggie, "you too… Carl will help with the fence" she hesitated and looked at the dead "GO" Ricked commanded louder and Kate chased after Maggie. The farmer's daughter was hacking at the door of the cell block with her axe without success. She raised it higher and harder causing the tool to break in two. Kate and Maggie looked at each other stunned for a few seconds before they both started to run to the viewing window at the back of the cell block.

Maggie wasted no time and shot through the thick glass, it shattered into a thousand pieces and the two women dived through the entryway. Kate could hear the sounds of automatic gunfire from outside and felt her heart pound furiously in her chest. The cell block was quickly under control and she called Caleb's name several times. There was no answer and she looked towards Hershel and he caught her eye and shook his head sadly before carrying on treating Glenn. Her breath hitched and she wanted to cry but there was no time, she ran madly back outside to find Rick.

It was a bloodbath, corpses everywhere and father and son standing side by side killing indiscriminately. They had taken the majority of the dead down and now all that was left was to finish off a few of the 'crawlers', which was the term she liked to use. Her heart started to steady now as she looked around at the fallen walkers. _This group was strong,_ just like Daryl had told her. Nevertheless Caleb was dead and she felt guilty and sad, he didn't deserve to die like that. Nobody did, not when they had made it this far. Through the darkness of the night that had fallen like so many of their group she could see headlights approaching the gate, it was _the medicine_ and its arrival would be bittersweet for them all.

* * *

As the car entered the prison Daryl could see dead everywhere, _what the hell?_ He jumped out of his seat with one person on his mind, and there she was. She wiped her sword on her jeans methodically before sheathing it back into the holster at her hip. Daryl walked towards her slowly and then they just looked at each other. It felt surreal for his heart to beat in happiness amongst the aftermath and chaos he could see all around him. Her expression was unreadable and he wondered what she was thinking.

"You came back" Kate said, a hint of a smile reached her eyes and mouth.

"I told ya I would," he flung his cross bow on his shoulder and lit a cigarette. "Come on," he motioned Kate to follow him. He didn't feel like spending another second knee deep in corpses and misery.

They kept walking until they found themselves at Rick's field of vegetables, this was a hopeful place, a place of growth, a place where even Daryl could see the start of a future. _A future with Kate?_ He took a seat on a nearby bench and she sat next to him. Daryl felt a little nervous like he always did when they were alone and uninterrupted. He was acutely aware of every point their bodies touched as they sat side by side and every time her knee brushed against his thigh his heart skipped a beat.

"I uh… found ya something' when we were out there"

Kate grinned and coked her head to the side "a present?"

"Don't get yer hopes up too high or nothin'…" Daryl winked as he searched his pockets for the two little packets. "Close ya eyes an hold out ya hand," he said and suddenly felt a little bit more nervous. It wasn't everyday he gave a woman any kind of gift and now he wondered if it was just stupid and almost regretted bringing it up.

* * *

Kate closed her eyes as she was told and felt giddy, it was like everything bad had never happened when she was alone with Daryl. Her hand wavered in anticipation and she bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. It felt like she was waiting forever when she felt his rough hand brush against hers leaving behind something small and light, _what could it be?_ She tried to guess in her mind."Open ya eyes then woman," he teased.

Kate burst out laughing in appreciation when she saw the two little packets, ' _English Breakfast Tea'_. Two precious teabags, it was the nicest gesture she could possibly imagine at the end of the world. She'd briefly mentioned to the redneck how she had been craving a "nice hot cup of tea" and he remembered. In the middle of everything that must have happened out there he had remembered. Butterflies flew around her tummy yet again.

"Thank you," Kate cleared her throat and tried to push what Carol had said out of her mind. _The woman was half crazy,_ she reasoned thinking of how the woman had killed Karen and David. Daryl probably had no idea what she had told Kate, he certainly never gave any indication of anything less than genuine in their relationship.

She smiled at the teabags again and as she looked at Daryl their gazes locked and Kate could see the spark of desire in his eyes and she felt her breath getting heavier as they both slowly leaned into a kiss. His mouth on hers sent familiar tingles that chilled her creating goose bumps all over her body yet at the same time setting her on fire creating a deep need within her core. Only this time she didn't want to walk away unsatisfied no matter what her better judgement told her.

* * *

Daryl ran his hands under Kate's shirt caressing her soft skin as he pulled her closer. He knew that he couldn't stop himself this time and he groaned in anticipation as he stood up pulling her off the bench. Then like he had imagined so many times he dropped his crossbow to the ground and threw Kate over his shoulder and she cried out in delight. He picked his spot in the vegetable garden and marched over enthusiastically laying her down on the grass, under the stars. Her hair fanned out around her and she looked so beautiful with her big brown eyes and perfect pink lips.

"Here?" she whispered breathlessly as he knelt down and kissed her neck his lips moving lower and lower as he unbuttoned her shirt. She breathed in harshly and trembled as he kissed her stomach. His heart was racing and he sat back to admire her again. Kate bit her lip and sat up sliding off his vest then pulling his shirt over his head, she ran her fingers over the scars on his chest before kissing them tenderly. He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, letting her lips cover him with their delicate caresses. Then he pulled her face to his and kissed her deeply while he slipped her shirt off her shoulders. His arms caressed her back as he looked into those beautiful eyes and his hands found her bra clasp and unfastened it easily. A hint of a blush affected her cheeks as she let her bra fall from her breasts while Daryl drank in the sight hungrily.

 _Goddamn_ , Daryl grabbed her arse and pulled her higher so his mouth could reach her nipple. As he sucked it hard she let out a soft gasp. They fell down to the ground together and he gave her other breast equal attention as he felt the tightness in his jeans begging desperately for release. They kicked of their shoes and frantically removed their remaining clothes. _This was really happening_ , and before he knew it Kate was naked except for a tiny black thong. Daryl wanted to devour her and enjoy every last inch of her body.

He kissed her stomach again, trailing his lips lower to the silky soft skin on the inside of her thighs. Daryl wanted to please Kate more than he had ever wanted to please any woman. He kept his eyes on hers as he pulled down those tiny panties and kissed her between her legs, she was _so fuckin' wet_. He swallowed hard trying to focus his mind on pleasuring Kate and at the same time recognising that she wasn't stopping him and wanted more. He gently eased a finger inside of her wetness, testing her willingness to go on, and felt himself become even harder as his mouth found her sweet spot. She grabbed the grass and arched her back as she moaned wildly at his teasing. It aroused him more than he could imagine hearing her make those noises, letting herself fall apart. He sensed that she was reaching her peak and stopped the rhythm he had found with his mouth. He didn't want her to climax just yet.

His mouth teased its way up her body, worshipping every inch of it as he kicked off his boxers freeing his hardness and pressing it against her opening. He buried his face in her neck "tell me you want this."

"Yes," Kate moaned and wrapped her legs around his body making it even easier for him to slip his length inside of her, pausing for a moment as she gasped at the sensation. He kissed her mouth passionately as he enjoyed the feeling of her wetness around his manhood. Then he started to thrust steadily, savouring every feeling pulsating around his body. Daryl groaned loudly as Kate brought her hips to meet his. Her moans became faster and she panted "harder" as she tightened her legs around him. The sound of her coming undone and reaching her climax sent him over the edge and a wave of pleasure exploded inside and out of him as he finally released the pressure which had been building up since he had met her.

Daryl collapsed on top on Kate, laying his head on her chest to listen to the soothing sounds of her breathing. She smelled so good and he felt like he might float away to heaven in her arms. Daryl wanted to forget the rest of the world existed and stay naked and entangled with Kate all night. But she broke his dreamy reverie as she whispered "we should get back". Daryl traced his finger over one of her breasts and then nuzzled his face in her neck, kissing her, he felt insatiable as desire began to stir within him again. She was so beautiful he could make love to her all night, _make love_? The phrase swirled around his mind catching him completely off guard, he wasn't the sort of man to make love, _fuckin'_ is what he did. _Wasn't it?_

* * *

The redneck had stamina she would give him that but Kate had regained her senses and wasn't going to give into her passions again while she was out in the open. "Mr Dixon… I'll die of shame if we get caught out here," he chuckled with a smug smile as she nudged him away and began to reach around for her clothes. He relented, letting her out of his strong arms and they both started to get dressed. They couldn't keep their eyes off each other as they pulled their clothes on, a thousand thoughts racing around her mind each time she glanced his way. Kate couldn't believe what had just happened, Daryl was a much more attentive lover than she had imagined and her body had responded more eagerly than it ever had with another man. _And in the middle of a field_ she blushed, what was this man doing to her?


	17. Chapter 17

Making tea was ceremony and everything needed to be _just right_. Kate had examined all the mugs in the kitchen before she decided which one was the closest to perfection. It was white both inside and out, no stains or cracks to spoil it. It was the perfect size with a handle that moulded into her hand like a dream. The words on the side read 'always right' and they sang to her soul. She slowly opened up the packet of the English breakfast tea and inhaled the familiar scent of the leaves before dropping it into the cup. Then carefully poured the boiling water and watched hypnotised as amber swirls brewed from the teabag. Even with powdered milk this would probably be the best cup of tea she had drank in her entire life and she intended to relish it.

A familiar figure caught her eye "I'd make you a cup of tea Mr Dixon but I'm not sure I like you enough to give you my last teabag." Kate closed her eyes as she brought the cup to her nose and breathed in the sweet steam before taking a tentative sip of the molten liquid. "Mmm… delicious," she savoured the taste and then her eyes met his and she blushed at the intense way her was watching her. This was the first time she was seeing him since they had returned to their respective bedrooms last night.

* * *

Daryl hadn't been able to keep the smile off his face all morning as he and Tyreese made repairs to the broken fence. He felt like he might actually be in the running to be the luckiest redneck in the world. He'd been up since dawn working on the fence and the two men had decided that after a couple of hours they needed a break and some food in their bellies. Now he was standing in front of Kate watching her drink her tea and finding it more seductive than was surely normal. His brain was in overtime since last night and it couldn't stop replaying the scene over and over again. His heart beat eagerly at the idea of recreating their little rendezvous and he pictured unbuttoning her shirt and more…

"Ya can make me some breakfast…" he smirked, trying to focus on his stomach rather than his manhood.

"You're a big boy Mr Dixon," she threw a packet of porridge oats at his head. "I've got things to do," Kate marched past him clutching her cup and tucking her hair behind her ear. Daryl watched her ass appreciatively as she walked away before following her like a stray dog, forgetting all about his hunger. "What things ya gotta do?"

"I thought I'd tend the uh…" she cleared her throat "vegetable patch."

"Right now?" his heart skipped a beat, was she suggesting what he thought? He was more than happy to _tend the vegetables_ with her for the rest of the day and beyond.

"Yeah, Rick said he could do with the help since Carl's still in bed." It was like an ice cold bath, _damn._ He suddenly worried that she was changing her mind about what had happened between them last night and wanted to leave Kate in no doubt of his feelings. He still wanted her to an extent that it was almost painful. So he glanced around the fields, making sure they were alone before he stood directly in front of her and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, pulling her in for a kiss.

* * *

Daryl's mouth on hers caught Kate a little off guard. The barrier between their 'normal' interactions had been broken last night and it was far too late to build it back up. She knew she had wanted him, had even told him but giving into those desires so readily had scared her and she'd thought about it all night, frightened that she was already getting _in too deep_. Wanting something and actually having it were two very different things. Every time she was with him she let something primal within her do the thinking and cast out all her worries. But no matter how much she had enjoyed last night she couldn't shake all the niggling doubts that crept in her head. If she gave into Daryl completely, _heart and soul_ and then something bad happened… she wasn't sure she could get over it. Not again.

And now he was kissing her, reminding her of how quickly everything was moving. Her heart pounded painfully as one half of her wanted to give into her desires and the other half wanted to push him away. But her brain won the battle over her heart this time, "I don't think we should do this…" Memories of everyone she had ever lost swirled around her mind and she remembered how it had nearly destroyed her when Harry had _died_. Her palms started to sweat as she pulled herself from Daryl's arms.

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean… it could never end well… not in this world…" Kate couldn't look him in the eye fearing she would lose all of her resolve. "I'm sorry… this was a mistake."

He pushed her away before kicking a watering can that was lying on the ground. It smacked against a nearby wall with force and the spout popped off the end. Kate stared at it lying there in the soil and tried to avoid looking directly at Daryl. But he marched back over to her and gripped her shoulders hard, she couldn't avoid him now and found herself holding his gaze, bracing herself for what he was going to say. Seconds felt like minutes and then he gave her a look of pure disgust "whatever," he spat out before releasing her and walking away without looking back.

"Daryl…" Kate called to the air between them as tears pricked her eyes, he didn't respond and she had no choice but to let him keep on walking. What was she going to say anyway? Every step he took was like a stab in her heart and when he rounded the corner she let out a small sob. _He hates me_ , Kate felt nauseous and began second guessing every word she had just spoken. Was pushing him away really going to protect her from heartache? Or was that what she was feeling right now?

Kate took a deep breath and wiped away her tears before she threw her precious tea cup against the point on the wall where the watering can had struck and watched it explode into tiny pieces with a mixture of satisfaction and regret.

* * *

Daryl returned to fixing the fence in a daze not sure where else he could go. He picked up the axe and began pounding out all his frustrations on the wood. She'd _finally wised up_ and rejected him. He _weren't good enough_ for a nice girl like her. _What the fuck_ had he been thinking? He threw the axe with all his might along the field before he sank down in the grass. He held his head in his hands and tried to block out all thoughts but it was no use. _I'm so fucking stupid_ he told himself over and over as he remembered the way she had looked while telling him she didn't want him.

Daryl could see Tyreese approaching in the distance and he pulled himself together, grabbing a nearby hammer and a piece of chopped wood he resumed building the fence. As he continued the mindless task he started to relax and as he calmed he realised that _it was bullshit_. She'd wanted last night to happen as much as he had, what was between them wasn't all in his head. It couldn't be. He'd let his temper get the better of him when he should have seen right through her rejection. He really was _fuckin' stupid_ but so was Kate. _Damn woman_ couldn't just let him love her without putting up a fight. Then Daryl backtracked his thoughts, _love her_? His mind raced as he asked himself, why not? She was the most captivating woman he'd ever been with, even if she was also the most _stubborn, uppity and damned annoying._

The revelation soothed him. And he decided he would have to tread carefully, Kate was like a wild horse and if he spooked her she would surely run away. _I'll ask Carol_ , she was the closest thing he had to a friend and a woman too so she would know _all about_ _this sorta stuff._ Then he realised he hadn't seen his friend since before he left.

* * *

Kate was in Cell block A when a huge explosion sounded causing her heart to jump right out of her chest, _bloody hell_. She followed Maggie and Beth outside to investigate the sound, her heart racing as the all too familiar feeling of adrenaline flooded her veins. She saw Daryl running alongside Rick and a pang of regret gripped her before her attention was reverted to where the noise had come from.

Almost all the group had gathered to witness the small militia of people standing just outside the fence, armed to the teeth with guns and unbelievably, a tank. _A fucking tank_ , Kate felt panic grip her even harder and her breath caught in her throat. "The Governor," she heard someone say and recalled hearing the name before. The man had a patch over his eye and looked like some stereotypical evil villain that had just walked out a comic book or a _James Bond movie_. He wanted to speak to Rick, face to face.

Kate clutched the hilt of her sword as she watched events unfurl in disbelief, the Governor had Hershel and Michonne as hostages leaving Rick no choice but to try and negotiate with the man. The ex-sheriff left the safety of cover to face down the small army and she admired his bravery. The two adversaries' began to talk and Kate pressed herself against the chain link fence to try and hear what they were discussing.

Daryl placed a gun in Kate's hand and she took it, keeping her eyes fixed on Rick. _Come on_ she urged him silently while he tried desperately to keep the peace. It felt like everything was moving in slow motion as she watched the one eyed man pull out what she assumed was Michonne's katana and then hold it to Hershel's neck. Kate could hear Beth and Maggie's painful sobs breaking up the silence of their group and felt a single tear creep its way down her cheek as she tried to steady her breathing.

Rick was shouting now, pleading, but the Governor was a mad man and in one cruel motion he brought the blade down on the farmer's neck, _Hershel's neck_. Kate closed her eyes for a moment and let the whole world fade away. _This was it_ , just like she had feared, the prison was falling. The noise of the shouting and the popping of the bullets dragged her back to reality and Kate picked her target, taking shot after shot after shot. But it was no use, the tank began to roll over their precious fences like they were made of lace and everyone was forced to retreat.

It was all over. Kate's heart pounded noisily in her ears and she started to run back to her room. But strong arms halted her "stay with me," Daryl shouted over the noise.

The brunette shook her head and pulled away from him "I have to get my photographs… this place is gone and I can't leave without Harry!"

* * *

Daryl reluctantly let Kate go and prayed she would remain safe. He couldn't tell the woman not to get her pictures, knowing what they meant. Nor could he follow her, the dead and the living were assaulting this prison and he needed to hold them off for as long as possible, that was his job. But he couldn't help but feel like he might never see the English woman again. _Fuckin' Governor_ , Michonne had been right. They should have found him and killed him when they had the chance.

The rednecks blood flared with rage and he killed anyone and anything that crossed him, eventually the Governor's small army and the tank were defeated. He looked for the Kate or anyone else but all he could see were walkers and destruction. And then Beth, the blonde girl ran out from nowhere and Daryl was relieved to see another survivor. His eyes swept over the prison one last but it was gone just like the brunette had said and he cursed the universe. This was supposed to be their home, their safe place but now it was just another ruin that belonged to the dead. Everything really did turn _to fucking shit._ And like he had predicted Kate was gone, lost. "We gotta go."


	18. Chapter 18

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has followed/favorited my story and especially those of you who have taken the time to write a review. Its a huge thrill when it happens and definitely feeds my muse, urging me to continue on!

* * *

Kate stumbled as she supported Zach's weight, causing him to groan loudly in agony. "Do you want to take a break?" she queried, exhausted from their journey. He gritted his teeth and nodded, prompting the brunette to ease him down onto a raised bit of earth as she scanned the trees around them for any signs of the dead. There were none, for now.

Back in the prison Kate had collected her photographs and belongings before attempting to make her way back to Daryl but before she could find the redneck she had spotted Zach stumbling around clutching his leg. Everywhere had been in chaos and she'd had no choice but to help the boy escape the prison before he became walker food. Together they had followed the path of least resistance and after no time at all the English woman had no idea where she was or which way they should go. Kate's thoughts led to Daryl, _he'd know what to do_ … _he was annoying like that,_ she scoffed.

"What now?" Zach questioned.

"Take your pants off,"

"Huh?"

"You're leg," Kate pointed to his injury as she shrugged off her backpack and began to unzip it, praising herself for having the foresight to pack another 'bug out bag'. The one she had packed in her car so long ago had turned out to be far too heavy and if Daryl hadn't carried it for her she would have struggled. Not that she would have admitted that to the redneck. After everything that happened with the sickness in cell block D she had decided to pack up something lighter. Now she was opening it to retrieve the small selection of bandages and a bottle of water.

Kate knelt in front of Zach and used the water to clean away some of the blood before passing the bottle to him, telling him to "drink". From what she could see a bullet was lodged in his leg but now wasn't the right time for her to be removing it. For now she would dress it and try and stop the bleeding as best she could then they would have to try and find somewhere more permanent. She covered the wound in all the gauze pads that she had and then wrapped it in a bandage before helping the teenager pull up his jeans.

Together they agreed that it would be better if she scouted the area to find a safe place without him. He had his gun and Kate tried to conceal him as best she could. Then she began her hike through the trees, using her knife to scratch a marker every so often, creating a bread trail to lead back to the injured teenager.

Eventually she found herself jogging by the side of a long road and as she followed it for what felt like forever she came to a cross roads. Kate let out a long sigh before taking a seat on a nearby log, staring at the signs. Nothing was ever straight forward. She was already further away from Zach than she had originally wanted to go and now she had three options to choose from. _Left, right or straight over?_

Kate was feeling despondent. A precious few hours ago she was worrying about what ' _might'_ happen and now she was facing the reality of it. The brunette had found herself desperately wanting, no needing the safety of the prison and now it was in ruins. _Why do I always have to be right?_ Her late husband Ryan always hated that about her, he'd say "you'd rather be right than happy, every time" and his words resonate in her mind. Kate would probably never see Daryl Dixon or any of the others again.

She groaned, _Maybe I should just give up?_ She'd thought about it once before. After Harry's accident Kate had crawled so far into a pit of despair that she'd barely manage to climb out. Selling her house and moving away had helped and day by day she had chosen life. She knew Harry would have wanted her to be happy, he was always trying to make her smile and laugh. She closed her eyes and pictured his face but no matter how hard she tried she could only picture the images from her photographs.

Then Kate looked at the sign post and it felt like a metaphor, no matter what she did or how hard she tried there was no right way. There really was no hope. What was the point in carrying on? Her eyes trailed down the metal pole before settling on the ground where a strange smooth pebble caught her attention. It looked so odd compared to all the other rocks. _It can't be_ , Kate shook her head but her curiosity was peaked and she went to investigate anyway. As soon as her fingers grazed the surface of the pebble she was sure of what she'd found and a huge involuntary smile lit up her face. It was a fake rock, _a geocache_.

Kate turned the rock over in her hands to find the opening and retrieve the small piece of rolled up paper which was the activity log. How many happy hours had she spent with Harry finding the hidden treasures? _Too many to count_ she mused. It felt like a sign, like he was here with her somehow. She unrolled the small scroll and read through the names of the other people who had found the cache previously. She reached for the pencil in her backpack and squeezed their name on the last available space, "H A A M", _Harry Ashwood and Mummy_. This was the team name her little boy had decided on when they had taken up the hobby together. It wasn't the most original name but he'd been four at the time and it had pleased him that the acronym sounded like 'ham', which he would shout at the top of his lungs when he found a cache and Kate would always say "another great find Harry," tears rolled down her cheeks as she said the words out loud to the wind. Kate then returned the rock back to its original position, knowing it would probably never be found again.

The brunette couldn't quite believe that she had found a geocache in this way. How many times had she failed to locate a cache even when equipped with both coordinates and a GPS? Kate knew that all caches had to be maintained by the hider, now she was certain that there must be some houses or a town nearby. _I can do this, I can keep going_ , she reminded herself, feeling guilty for becoming so pessimistic. Kate wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and climbed on the fence, using the signpost to stand up even higher so she could see further over the fields. And in the not too far distance she spotted a lone little house and breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

At long last Kate and Zach made it to the little house which was a great relief since the poor boy could barely walk by now and the sun was starting to hang low in the sky. She sat him down on the porch swing and stretched her aching muscles, that last section over the field had been back breaking. She drank a little water and gave Zach the remainder, "I'm going to pop inside and make sure everything is safe" he grunted in response and closed his weary eyes.

Kate knocked hard on the wooden front door and then listened closely for signs of life, or death. There was none, but she realised that she felt more nervous than usual. Even the relatively short amount of time in Daryl's company and 'protection' had softened her. She drew her sword and took a deep breath before slowly turning the door knob. It was open, which was a small mercy and the brunette crept inside.

Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust indicating that nobody alive had been here recently. This was a good sign since she didn't particularly want to have to deal with any other people, she knew all too well that the living could be worse than the dead. Kate glanced at the framed photographs on the wall near the front door, they indicated that a middle aged couple with one grown up daughter were the owners of this house, or at least used to be. She hated the feeling of trespassing and tried to put thoughts of the people in the photos out of her mind as she tentatively made her way further.

With her sword as her guide Kate moved through the house slowly and methodically trying to remain calm, and wondered if she would hear any sounds of danger over the noise of her own heartbeat which seemed to thud so loudly in her ears. Thankfully the living room and kitchen were clear and in good repair apart from the dust.

Kate grabbed the rail of the stairs and cast a cautious glance upwards before she started to tip toe up the steps. There was a definite smell lingering in the air and Kate was almost certain there would be something unpleasant in this house, whether it was dead or alive she was yet to find out. The upstairs landing held three doors and she approached the first, bracing herself as she flung it open, it was the master bedroom, everything seemed to be in order so she proceeded onto the next.

The door swung open with a bang and Kate wretched as a foul odour smacked her in the face like a cricket bat. The naked corpse of a middle aged woman snarled as it clawed its way around the door and cast its' dead eyes on her. From the looks of things the woman had obviously opted out in the bathtub without knowing she had to destroy her brain. Blood was everywhere and the decayed woman made a leap for Kate but was interrupted with the point of her medieval blade, sliding straight through the walkers' mottled neck like a shish kebab. Of course the creature didn't die and it tried to wriggle free, almost severing its own head. Kate raised her leg and kicked the walker off her sword. It fell with a heavy thud into the tub where she finished it, cleaving her sword through its skull, cutting it almost in half. She heaved the sword out of the dead woman's head with a pang of remorse and felt sickened by the gruesome sight.

Before she left the bathroom Kate checked the cabinets for supplies and stuffed any that she found into her backpack, and then she shut the door to the foul room and vowed never to open it again. Behind the remaining door in the hallway there was a smaller bedroom, which contained a single bed at one end and a shrine to sewing at the other. There was a sewing machine along with stacks and stacks of different fabrics, threads, embroidery, everything. Kate couldn't believe her good fortune, all the material would be perfect for stitching and bandaging up Zach's leg.

* * *

Kate made her way back downstairs and found the teenager half passed out, "come on, let's get you inside." He could only make it to the sofa so that would have to do for now. "I'm going to have to try and take out that bullet," Zach nodded meekly at her words. She had gone back and forth on the idea of removing the bullet from Zach's leg for the whole of their journey to the house. Before deciding that removing it and getting it cleaned up probably held the greater chance for stopping infection. With a decision made there was no point waiting before she removed the object and got him stitched up to start healing, that was the theory anyway.

Kate found all the candles in the house and even an oil filled lantern, she placed them around the front room then lit the hearth. She'd found half a bottle of brandy and encouraged Zach to have "a shot or two" along with some pain killers. Her stomach sank as her preparations brought her nearer and nearer to the inevitable. She'd attempted to sterilise the 'equipment' in boiled water and gathered plenty of material for dressing and cleaning the wound.

"So… were you a nurse or something? You never said…" the teenager asked as Kate was organising and reorganising all her supplies, trying in vain to buy herself more time.

"Not exactly… I studied history… I was working with the British museum on a travelling collection of medieval and Anglo Saxon artefacts," she explained remembering that the teenager had been obsessed with guessing Daryl's pre-apocalyptic career. He looked nervous and swallowed hard so she tried to reassure him, "but I've read a great deal about medicine through time, I even studied it for a year… " what she didn't add was that her studies were part of her GCSE course when she was 16, he didn't need to know that. Or that she had watched plenty of episodes of Casualty and that was the basis of most of her medical knowledge.

Zach took a deep drink of the brandy and for a moment looked like he might throw it back up but to his credit he didn't. Instead he let out a low groan and told Kate "let's just get it over with". The brunette rolled up a thick piece of cloth and gave it to Zach to bite down on when the pain became too much. Everything was ready and she gently stroked the boy's hair and gave him a reassuring smile. "I can do this," she told them both. Then with a shaky hand she picked up her tool of choice and looked once again at Zach, his eyes were shut and he was biting down on the cloth in anticipation. She cleared the wound with water, and urged herself to go on, _you can do this._

* * *

Kate sat on the porch swing with the last shot of brandy, staring at the stars and trying to calm her frayed nerves. Since digging the bullet from Zach's leg her hands hadn't stopped shaking, he had passed out like she hoped he would as the pain had become unbearable and she had managed to take out a solid chunk of metal from his wound before stitching him up somewhat haphazardly with some cotton thread and then dressing his wound in a cheerful material decorated with little pink and blue ducks.

She clenched and unclenched her hand trying to control the shaking but it was no use, after everything that had happened today she was wired and her adrenaline had never quite stopped pumping. It was getting late and before going back inside she took one last look at the night sky and wondered if Daryl or anyone else from the prison were looking at the moon in that very same moment. Had any of them survived?

As Kate reached for the door handle she heard a rustling in the tree line, about 50 feet from where she was standing. Her hand stopped trembling and she held her breath, narrowing her eyes to try and see further into the darkness. "Hello?" she called gripping the hilt of her trusty sword.


	19. Chapter 19

"Hello?" Kate called again convincing herself that the noise was probably just some rabbit.

"I saw the light, hoped you might be friendly." The sound of the disembodied voice sent shockwaves through her body and Kate held her sword directly in front of her as a lone man appeared from the shadows with his hands in the air.

"It's just me… I'll go if you want… but I was hoping to spend the night indoors if it ain't too much trouble ma'am."

Her mind was racing trying to predict all possible outcomes and then she pictured the man as Daryl, Rick or Zach. _Not everyone was bad_ , "drop any weapons and lie on the ground… face down" she commanded. The man did as he was told and Kate approached him carefully before sheaving her sword and frisking him. In truth she knew that she was vulnerable out here no matter what she did.

"My names John… I'm trying to make it to my ex-wife… she lives just outside of Washington" he told her as she checked his pockets. Then Kate picked up the man's knife and handgun off the floor and told him "you can stay, but I'm going to keep hold of these". He nodded and she led John into the house where he stared curiously at Zach.

"He was shot, I've removed the bullet but…"

"Here" he passed a small box from his backpack "antibiotics… they might help him."

"Thank you" Kate smiled.

The two of them sat at the kitchen table and he talked more about his ex-wife and how far he had travelled but what interested Kate most of all was that he was "collecting messages". John told her that when he met new people he'd write down their details and any messages they wanted to send, "you never know who I'll get that information to". It was such a foolish mission in her opinion and when he asked Kate if she wanted to add her name to his book she declined.

"You go on upstairs, there's a bedroom… I'm going to stay here with Zach," she told him eventually, satisfied that he was trustworthy. Someone with a hair brained idea such as he had couldn't be bad.

* * *

Kate's eyes flickered open in a sleepy daze and connected with two dead ones inches from her face. She jerked her head back in response before realising that the walker was on the other side of the window _._ Last night she had tried to keep a lookout and remain awake to watch over the injured teenager. At some point her eyelids had become far too heavy to remain open and she had let sleep overcome her as she rested her head on the windowsill. _Bloody hell_ , she laughed at the adrenaline pumping around her body and then counted five dead clawing at the little house, trying desperately to get in. Just how long had she slept through that noise?

Then her thoughts turned to the boy. He was lying in the same position as last night but the colour in his face seemed to have returned. "Zach," Kate whispered as she gently nudged him. He moaned softly before opening his eyes and frowning at her. _Thank god_ , Kate was relieved to see the boy respond and ruffled his hair before handing him some painkillers and antibiotics, "take these… I'm going to pop outside for a moment, okay?" He took the pills and went back to trying to sleep.

"Good morning," John hopped down the stairs and his eyes glanced to the dead at the window. "You want a hand with that?"

"No… I can do it," yesterday she had become more afraid than she would care to admit and now she wanted to prove something to herself. There were ' _just five'_ , it wasn't an insurmountable sum and they were in the open where she could control the situation. Kate had faced similar with success and _this time would be no different_ , she reasoned with herself. There was no point putting off the inevitable so the brunette made her way to the back door and crept outside. She gripped her sword tightly and began the slaughter.

* * *

Kate took a seat in the living room besides Zach who was still sleeping. Across from her John was looking over some maps and planning the next portion of his route. The brunette began sharpening her sword, a task she had neglected the past couple of weeks but the encounter outside had reminded the woman that her weapon was useless if she let it become blunt. Kate had taken the whetstone from the museum along with her sword and no matter how much of a pain it was lugging a brick sized rock with her she knew it was a necessary evil. The brunette loved the relaxing feeling of drawing the blade over the surface of the stone. It made her feel powerful and even more like a Saxon warrior than when she was wielding the sword. Like always when doing this task her thoughts drifted to her friend and colleague, Louis.

The old man had been the one to secure her job at the museum even though she was no expert on weaponry like he was. After Harry died Louis had been the one to offer the helping hand to pull Kate from her dark pit and she'd loved him for it. He was like the father she'd always wished she'd had, rather than the one she got. For _fun_ he had shown her how to sharpen a blade, of course that had been on a stainless steel replica. _Poor Lou_ , he'd died of course, like everyone else.

"I think I'm gonna be heading off now" John said, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes ma'am, I found a few items of clothing upstairs if you don't mind me taking em… the weather is starting to turn" he looked out the window at the sky and she smiled and shook her head. Who was she to say he couldn't have these items? They didn't belong to her. John pulled on an extra jumper followed by a bright red poncho.

"Not exactly discreet" Kate eyed his strange choice.

"I like red," he said with a smile and she thought he looked like little red riding hood which made her laugh considering how tall the man was. Then he put his backpack on his shoulders and his gun in its holster and they said their goodbyes. The brunette watched him from the door and before she knew it she called out "wait."

John turned to face her, "If you see a man named Daryl Dixon… tell him" she cleared her throat trying to think of what she wanted to say "I changed my mind… it wasn't a mistake," he nodded with a grin and started leave. It wasn't likely that he'd ever run in to the redneck anyway, but it felt good admitting it out loud even if it was to the wrong man. Then a niggling thought crept into her head, _what if he really did see Mr Dixon?_

"Wait… no… tell him that you saw me and I'm okay… but that he shouldn't come looking for me… it's not worth the risk." The last thing she wanted was another person's blood on her hands.

"Do you want to write something down?" the man laughed.

Kate smiled nervously "No, that's all of it"

"I'll tell him your message if I see him… but for the right woman… anything's worth the risk," John winked and then turned away for the final time, disappearing into the woods despite his red cloak.

* * *

Meeting John had felt like a dream now that he was gone. Zach had slept through the entire encounter which gave her a strange sense that she had hallucinated the whole thing but then she looked at the antibiotics and shook her head. The silence in the house was excruciating and she cast her eyes to the ticking clock on the wall and let out a long sigh. It was only mid-afternoon and the day was so long when you spent it in solitude. Before meeting Daryl and becoming part of a group again she had slowly gotten used to loneliness and found constantly moving from place to place kept her occupied. Now she found herself watching Zach and over analysing each sound he made, she didn't have the patience to sit and read nor did she feel like sleeping.

For the hundredth time she put her hand on Zach's forehead to see if he had a temperature before deciding yet again that he was exhausted rather than sick. There was nothing she could do here except pace around like a broody hen and they needed food having already eaten all their supplies. So Kate decided the teenager would probably be okay if she went out for a while and wrote a note for him. She left it on a table bedside him along with a glass of water and more painkillers then threw on her backpack and headed out.

Kate ambled along in the sunshine for half an hour of blissful peace before she came across a small town and suddenly remembered that the world had ended. It was a couple of houses, shops and a bar. The town would have been quite lovely if it wasn't complete with a handful of walkers wandering around. Instinct took over and she concealed herself behind cars and a post box as she crept around to the 'convenience store'. The window was all broken in and Kate hoped there would be something left as she climbed through it. Scanning the shelves revealed a small number of canned goods and a bar of Hershey's chocolate, it wasn't Cadbury's but it was still most welcome. While placing her finds in her backpack some voices from outside caught her attention, "claimed" one of them shouted.

The brunette tiptoed delicately to the window of the store, careful not to step on the broken glass and her heart started to race as the large gang of men came into view. Unlike John these people looked like trouble. Kate shuddered as she remembered the two men who had kidnapped her and what they had wanted to do. _I have to get out of here_ , she started to back away slowly. Thankfully most of the men were more interested in the bar across the road but one of them was heading her way. _Shit_ , Kate ducked down behind a shelf and heard the sound of his boots breaking the glass as he entered the store.

The English woman grabbed for her knife and peered around the shelf to see which way he would go. The man was looking at some magazines next to the window and her thoughts swirled as she decided what to do. He was small and a little scrawny compared to the average male but Kate's strengths didn't exactly lie in her ability to physically fight with another person. Walkers yes, grown men, not usually. Still she didn't want to try and hide, for now it was just one on one and that was better odds than it might be if she waited any longer.

Kate spotted a silver coin on the floor and picked it up. She threw it to the back of the shop, past the till and into what she assumed was some sort of storage room. The clatter of the coin hitting something metal caught the man's attention. He drew his gun as he started to head towards the sound. He was so focused on finding what had made the noise that he walked straight past the brunette just as she had planned. Kate stood up from her crouched position and grabbed him from behind, holding her knife to his throat. "Drop your weapon."

"Don't try nothin' stupid sweetheart."

"Drop it or I will kill you!" she edged the tip of the knife into his neck and a stream of blood trickled out causing the man to hiss in pain and he threw his gun on the ground and Kate kicked it away. "Get on your knees," she told him next.

"Why? What you plannin' on doin' with me darling?" She pushed him down with as much force as she could muster and when he was on his knees she reached for a large can of peaches that caught her eye and wacked him hard over the back of the head. He fell like a sack of potatoes and she wondered briefly if she had killed the man, it hadn't been her intention but she had no time to worry about that now. She grabbed his gun, hopped over the body and made her way out the back of the store and running from the town as quickly as her legs could carry her.

* * *

Zach was sitting up on the sofa reading a book when she barged through the door like a maniac. She smiled and caught her breath "You're up? How are you feeling?" Kate tried to sound as calm as possible.

"Like I got shot in the leg," he had a cocky smile "but I feel okay… you know" he pointed to his injury "considering."

Kate didn't tell the boy about the gang she had seen. Zach needed one more night of safety. But the men were so close and that made her uneasy. Tomorrow they would have to try and keep on moving. She threw the Hershey bar to Zach and his face lit up as he turned it over in his hands, "Wanna split it?"

"I was hoping you'd say that" Kate smiled and took a seat in the armchair across from the teenager. She wished more than ever that she was back at the prison with Daryl. Maybe it was because she had taken responsibility for Zach but being out here felt different now. Then she thought about John, in his bright red poncho, making his solitary journey and hoped he would find what he was looking for.


	20. Chapter 20

Kate had been awake almost all night worrying about the men she had seen yesterday. They were only a thirty minute walk from the house and she was terrified they would discover it. When Zach had finally woken up and eaten his breakfast she had found herself telling him the truth about the situation. She knew it would be difficult for him if they left this place but staying felt like a risk too.

As they stepped outside to let Zach try out the cane Kate had fashioned for him using a stick and her knife, their eyes caught sight of a huge plume of smoke weaving its way through the sky in the distance. "You think it could be one of our group?" Zach asked.

"I don't know." It could have been anything. If it was their group then a huge fire probably wasn't a good sign she thought warily.

"We should find out… you've already said it's not safe here,"

"Do you think you can manage with your leg?" she watched as he took a few steps on his own and he nodded "I'll manage."

The smoke was at least something to head for and if it had been someone from the prison then maybe they would cross paths with them as they made their way towards it. Kate gathered all their supplies into her backpack before she took John's advice about the weather and searched for some extra layers of clothes for herself and Zach. She found his and hers flannel coats hanging in the cupboard and although they were a few sizes too big for both of them they would keep them a little warmer. Then they said goodbye to the little house and began their journey with apprehension.

The pair made slow progress through the woods. Zach was unsteady on his leg and Kate struggled to support his weight for long before they had to keep stopping for a break. Eventually they found themselves having to spend a night out in the open which was Kate's worse nightmare. She chose a spot carefully and spent the majority of yet another night awake worrying. Every noise caught her attention and her heart would thud in her ears while she gripped her sword waiting for the sun to come up. When the rays of light eventually streamed through the trees she breathed a heavy sigh of relief and was glad that Zach had at least managed some sleep.

* * *

As their journey continued they discovered a train track which was cutting its way right through the forest. Her eyes travelled along the line where they rested on a sign. She could just make out the words, 'Terminus, those who arrive survive'. Together they made it over to the sign where they looked at the map underneath the words.

"Do you think we should go?" Zach asked.

Kate's gut was telling her not to trust it. But then she looked at Zach's injured leg. Finding their way to the smoke had seemed such an easy task when they made the decision but now it seemed impossible. Following the train tracks to Terminus would be much easier for the boy. "If we go here we might have a greater chance of finding our people, but we should remain vigilant."

"Beth could be there," he smiled hopefully as he took the painkillers Kate offered him.

"Let's not get our hopes up too high," the brunette replied as she remembered endlessly searching for survivors of her previous group after their camp had fallen. In her opinion she was lucky to have remained with Zach after all that had happened at the prison. She put his arm over her shoulder to help support his weight and they continued plodding on.

"Where were you when it all happened? When you saw your first walker?"

"That's a miserable topic of conversation…" she replied to another one of his endless questions. He'd been non-stop for their entire walk.

"I still can't picture you in some dusty old museum, picking up a sword and cracking skulls… and we have a long… slow… walk… ahead of us." He urged her to go on, the teenager was a nosey nuisance but she humoured his request anyway. Listening to her stories seemed to help him walk no matter what they were about.

"Well… I went into work like it was a normal day…" she scoffed, remembering she hadn't had a single clue.

* * *

It had been a crazy morning, it took Kate almost three times as long as it should to get to the museum and she loathed driving in busy traffic. _I should have taken the bus like Lou told me_ , she sighed gripping the steering wheel of her rental car. On the radio they were talking about the sickness bug that had been spreading and Kate switched it off out of frustration. Mad cow disease, swine flu and now this. _It'll pass_ she'd told herself, the media sensationalise everything miserable. She'd had enough misery to last her a life time in her opinion.

When Kate eventually pulled into the car park she was surprised by the lack of vehicles, _bloody traffic_ shedecided and headed into the staff entrance using her new key. This was only the second time she had been to this building, they had just moved the exhibit here and would be staying for 8 weeks, giving talks and babysitting the artefacts. It was a job Louis could have probably managed on his own but he was getting old and had insisted that he needed an assistant. Kate had been grateful for the opportunity to get as far away from her life in England as possible.

After making a cup of tea she managed to find the switches for the lights in the main room and flicked them on. As she turned to grab her tea from the staff room she thought she heard a noise and craned her neck to try and see around the display cases, but there was only silence now. Kate had been doing this job for almost a year and knew exactly how to set up the exhibition so decided she might as well _get cracking_. As she opened up the first crate the lid of the box fell on the floor with a loud bang that made her flinch, she was about to remove a weapon from the box when the clatter of metal hitting the floor somewhere else in the museum startled her.

"Hello?" Kate started to make her way to where the noise had come before looking at her watch. It was only 5 minutes until the museum was supposed to be opening which was curious. Surely the traffic wasn't so terrible that she was the only person who had made it to work on time. She decided to go and check if anyone was at the front desk but then stopped upon noticing drops of blood splattered on the tile floor. Kate crouched down to inspect them and called out "is everything okay?"

There was no response. But then her ears picked up the sound of footsteps which seemed to be getting closer. Kate stood up to see who was coming. The hallway was shrouded in darkness, "who is it?" she felt a chill sweep down her spine and unconsciously took a few steps backwards as her heart started to pound. Thoughts of every horror movie she had ever seen raced through her mind and she held her breath as the person drew closer.

The footsteps became a face, staggering out of the hallway. Recognisable yet almost completely unrecognisable at the same time. "Lou?" The old man had a gaping wound on his neck and his skin was pasty and grey but what struck her were his eyes. Usually bright blue and friendly they were now mad and glazed over. Louis' face contorted into a snarl and he stretched his arms to grab at her. Kate backed away from his grasp, _was he sick?_ _Is this what the sickness was?_ One half of her wanted to comfort him but her instincts told her to run away. "Stay back… Louis…" she pleaded but he kept on coming, frenzy etched on his once kind face. Kate reached for the spear that was waiting in the box she had opened.

"You're sick… I'll go get help… but you must stay back" his face didn't register any of the words she spoke and she pointed the long spear in front of her body to ward him away. "Lou, please" he paid no attention to the weapon and walked straight onto the end. Kate felt it slide like butter into his stomach, _oh my god, I've killed him._ Her stomach turned over in disgust and tears streamed uncontrolled down her cheeks. She expected him to fall on the floor in agony but instead he just kept on walking, threading his body along the pole with a manic look in his eyes.

Her hands released the end of the long spear in disbelief. Louis looked like some kind of monster. "I'm sorry," she cried before running away to the staff room and pulling the door closed with a loud bang. She watched through the small window of the door as her old friend pursued her without any regard to the weapon jutting out of his belly. The sight caused Kate to fall to the floor in shock where she promptly vomited the contents of her breakfast all over herself.

* * *

"I hid in that room all night… I know it's probably hard to believe" Kate smirked trying to make light of the story "but I wasn't always such a bad ass".

Zach laughed "yeah… guys like Daryl, they were born for this world… did he ever tell you what he did before?"

"Why would I know?"

"I dunno…. I thought maybe you guys were" he hesitated and then smirked "together?"

Kate felt her face blush a deep shade of red and started to change the topic of conversation when she spotted a familiar face up ahead. Zach's face lit up with a huge grin as he shouted, "Hey, over here!"

* * *

 _I've lost everybody, can't never do nothin' fuckin' right_ , Daryl Dixon told himself as he sat by the side of the train tracks. _Carol, Beth, Kate_ , all the women had relied on him and he'd let each one of them down. Let everyone at the prison down. _Don't even know if they're fuckin' dead or alive,_ he shook his head and felt like he might as well sit on this spot on the floor for the rest of his life and give up. Beth had said he would be the last man standing now here he was and he felt like he didn't want to see another person ever again.

But he couldn't even do that right. Daryl heard the sounds of footsteps approaching him and could barely muster the strength to lift his head. It would be too much to hope that people would just pass him by so he found himself flicking the hair from his eyes to get a glimpse of whoever was approaching.

 _Fuck,_ it was worse than he had thought. He could see a gang of men approaching him, laughing and joking, a big arrogant smile across the leading man's face. He didn't even need to speak to them to know they were bad people. They were just the kind of men he and Merle used to spend all their time with.

Looking at this group he couldn't help but see a glimpse of the path his life could have gone down if his brother hadn't got left behind in Atlanta. Before he knew it he found himself in a standoff with the leader, Joe. He had a basic choice, join their group or die fighting. So he fell in line, too exhausted to fight. Maybe this was who he was really supposed to be with anyway.

"Stop yer bellyaching about yer mystery woman, she didn't kill ya did she?" Joe shouted to one of the group and Daryl gave him a curious look.

"Some little woman got the jump on Harley a ways back, hit him over his fat head with a can o' peaches and he wants to find er… real bad" Joe spit on the floor and then laughed with the other men.

"If we find that bitch she's claimed."

"You didn't even see er"

"I saw enough, an I heard her… can't be too many crazy British chicks runnin' around Georgia"

Daryl felt like his head might explode, it had to be Kate. _She's alive_ , he pictured her fighting the man, Harley, with a stubborn look on her face and smirked at the idea of Kate 'getting the jump' on anybody.

Daryl wanted to ask where he had encountered the woman so he could try and find her but thought better of it as his eyes swept over the group of mean looking rednecks. He couldn't walk away from them now even if he wanted to and if they found Kate then he needed to be with them. "So is that where yer headin', finding this girl?" His stomach turned at the idea of these men hunting her down, like a little deer.

"Nah, we're lookin' for the asshole who murdered our buddy this mornin', you seen anyone else round these parts?"

Daryl shook his head, "nah." Then he lit a cigarette and found his eyes searching furiously for any trace of Miss Uppity as they walked along the tracks. He should have known she would have survived the prison. The woman was too downright stubborn to let herself get killed so easily. If he was going to be the last man standing he knew Kate would put up damn good fight to be the last woman.

* * *

Kate and Zach caught up to the people ahead of them on the track, it wasn't exactly who she had been hoping to see. "Is it just you three?" she asked as she helped Zach take a seat on a nearby log.

Tyreese gave Carol a strange look before he answered, "it's just us, you?"

"Yeah, just us," she eyed Carol cautiously, remembering why Rick had asked her to leave the prison in addition to the last awkward conversation she had shared with the woman. If it hadn't been for the fact that they had little Judith with them Kate would have most likely walked away. But one look at the chubby cheeks of Rick's daughter confirmed she would do whatever it took to help keep her safe. Tyreese and Carol would need all the help they could get with a baby in tow regardless of Kate's personal feelings. And Zach seemed overjoyed to have found other survivors.

* * *

Darkness had fallen and the five of them would have to spend another night sleeping in the woods, although now there would be more people to share watch duty with which was a relief. Kate felt like a character from one of Harry's cartoons, another night without sleep and she would have been holding her eyes open with matchsticks. Carol volunteered for the first watch and when the boys were sleeping Kate left her position on the ground and sat next to her.

"I know we didn't exactly see eye to eye when we last spoke and… I know what you did… to Karen and David" Carol tried to interrupt her but Kate held her hand up and continued "That's the past and I'm finding that I don't want to do _this_ on my own anymore, we have a chance… If we stay together and I'm not interested in any petty rivalries" Kate sighed. "We have enough to worry about."

"Tyreese knows what I did."

"That's good… I mean it's good that he knows"

"It was strange to see him you with like that… harder than I thought, he was always so closed off to people… but not with you." she realised that Carol must be talking about Daryl, was this her way of an apology?

"We'll probably never see Daryl Dixon again," Kate's voice broke a little as she said the words and then she stood up, she didn't want to talk about this anymore "I'll take the next watch, just wake me up when you get too tired." And with that she went back to her spot on the floor and let her mind and body drift into the tranquil world of deep sleep.

* * *

A big thanks for the comments, I love reading them. Keep em coming! :)


	21. Chapter 21

Kate and the others were up at dawn to continue their journey to Terminus. None of them wanted to spend another night sleeping outside if they could help it and the end was tantalisingly close. Zach was managing well walking with his cane on the train track and Kate was relieved. She supposed he might walk with a limp for the rest of his life but at least he was alive. He caught her eye and they shared a smile as they plodded on.

"Walkers," Carol whispered as she gestured for everyone to take cover behind some bushes. They all held their breath hoping to remain unnoticed as a large group of the dead crept its way from the depths of the forest. There were so many of them and Kate worried about how Zach would manage on his injury if they had to run. Then like an answer to a prayer the sound of gunfire started to blare through the silence of the trees and startled them all. It distracted the horde of walkers and they turned their hungry eyes to find what had caught their attention like moths to a flame.

Kate, Carol and Tyreese all shared a worried look. The gunfire had to be coming from Terminus. They were so close to it now. Maybe this place really wasn't what they thought it was going to be? It was natural to be suspicious of anyone or anything in this world and the shots firing were only confirming the brunettes' gut instincts when she had first seen the signs. If this place was so safe why advertise it? Why put yourself in that kind of danger? Maybe it was her pessimistic side but people weren't usually that selfless.

They decided to keep off the tracks and approach Terminus from the woods so they could get a better look at the situation before deciding what to do. Walking through the trees and undergrowth was much more difficult for Zach. Tyreese offered to help the boy while he passed baby Judith to Kate.

This was the first time she had held a baby in years and her arms faltered almost dropping the squishy bundle. She looked desperately for Carol but the woman had walked far ahead. Then her eyes rested on the baby and she watched captivated as her chubby hands pulled at her hair before she finally settled her little head snugly in Kate's chest. She felt a pang in her heart and belly as she smelled in the baby's sweet scent and stroked her soft hair. There was nothing quite like a little baby. Tears pricked at her eyes and she cursed herself, _why do I always have to get so bloody emotional?_ She hated to cry in front of people but holding little Judith was too much and Kate focused on controlling her breathing to keep herself calm before she caught up to Tyreese and Zach.

* * *

Carol had a man on his knees with a gun to his head by the time Kate and joined the others. "He said Michonne and Carl are being held captive at Terminus," Carol brought her up to speed on everything as they moved the man into a nearby wooden shack. He wasn't exactly the trustworthy sort and they all agreed that there would likely be even more of their people at Terminus. Kate wondered if Daryl was there too. Together they decided to leave Tyreese behind to watch over Zach, Judith and the prisoner. Kate didn't know his reasoning's but she had overheard him say that he wasn't ready to do any fighting.

"Don't do anything stupid," she told Zach as she gave him her backpack and covered herself in a blanket that Carol had fashioned into a poncho by cutting a hole out of the middle. She wasn't entirely sure of the woman's idea with the blanket but carol had said "trust me" and Kate was going with it.

"Stupid? Like going off with Carol on a suicide mission?" he asked unhappy about the turn of events.

"We'll be careful. I'll come back for you no matter what, okay?" she promised Zach and meant it. He was still just a boy at 19 and she wanted to look after him. Kate felt like it was her duty in some weird way. If she could keep _him_ safe then everything would be okay.

As the two women walked away from the shack Carol found a walker and stabbed it in the head before she sliced it open like a butcher. "The walkers we saw are going to be all over Terminus. We use the blood to mask our scent." Carol started to smear herself in the entrails of the dead creature.

"This works?" Kate was sceptical and didn't relish the idea of covering herself in guts for no reason.

"Trust me," Carol had a devilish smile that Kate had never seen on her face before and she wondered if living in this world made you a little crazy. _It had too_ she supposed as she followed Carol's example and scooped up a handful of ' _god only knows what'_ and smeared it across the blanket she was wearing. The smell and the feeling of the blood on her hands made her heave and she felt like her skin was crawling. Kate was never the child that played in the mud.

The two women were as ready as they were ever going to be covered head to toe in filth and they began to weave their way amongst the dead. _Carol was right_ , they were invisible to the walkers. As they stood at the outskirts of the Terminus Kate's eyes roamed over the people down below. She felt her stomach sink to her feet as she spotted her favourite redneck in the middle of the compound. He was being held at gunpoint along with Rick, Bob and Glenn. She had found Daryl against all odds and now he looked as though he might be killed.

Her worry quickly turned to the familiar feeling of rage and she gripped her sword out of instinct. Then Kate watched in awe as Carol produced a rocket from her bag and began to set it up to fire out the end of her rifle. "See the tank of gas," the woman said and Kate understood her meaning immediately, the idea was pure genius. And in that moment she knew they would be victorious in at least destroying this place.

Carol used her assault rifle to fire a hole in the pressurised tank and as the gas escaped Kate knew what she needed to do. She smirked as she fired the rocket and both women watched in complete satisfaction as the stream of gas which was escaping from the tank caught alight and created a huge explosion that blew down the fences and made way for the approaching dead.

They climbed down the hill they were standing on to join with the horde of walkers in attacking Terminus. Carol suggested that they split up to cover more ground before meeting back up at the shack in the woods, where Zach and the others would be waiting. It was a sensible idea and when they had made their way into the compound Kate wished her "good luck" before drawing her sword and preparing to fight.

* * *

Daryl watched as Rick dug up the bag of weapons they had buried before entering Terminus. He couldn't quite believe how quickly events had turned around in the past hour. Things went from good to bad in the blink of an eye in this world. Now he found himself thinking of finding Kate. She hadn't been at Terminus. After Rick had killed Joe and the rest of the claimers he had convinced Daryl that maybe he could find her there. Now he was out of ideas where he might find her, she was like a needle in a haystack.

Daryl ran his hands through his hair out of frustration when the sound of footsteps caught his attention. He turned to see who was approaching and felt a wave of emotion wash over him as he ran and scooped the woman into an embrace, _Carol. Where the hell had she come from?_ He'd given up hope of ever seeing his friend again. Yet here she was and she had saved them all.

"Follow me," she said as she led them to a shack hidden in the forest. The redneck watched with a happy smile as Rick and Carl were reunited with Little Ass Kicker. Tyreese reunited with Sasha. The kid Zach was there too. The boy started to limp towards them in disbelief, "Beth?" he said as he scanned the faces.

"She's not here," Daryl gripped the boys' shoulder and they shared the same sad expression.

"What about Kate?" Zach turned to Carol as he asked the question and Daryl did a double take as she shrugged her shoulders. "She promised she'd come back," the teenager looked close to breaking.

"We left er there?" Daryl gripped his crossbow angrily and started to march back to Terminus.

"We can't go back," Rick grabbed him by the shoulders to stop his leaving. But that was so easy for everyone else to say. He pulled himself out of the other man's grasps and looked towards the smoke that was rising from the fallen compound. The whole group stood in silence and he felt his breath catch in his throat as he decided what to do. Then a twig snapped and all the heads turned to look for the sound.

"Zack?" the familiar English voice called out and Kate emerged from the back of the little hut, gripping her side and exhausted. The boy limped over to her first with a big smile on his face. "I couldn't find the bloody cabin," she let out a long laboured sigh and leaned one hand on the wooden walls of the hut for support, "I must have ran around it twice before…" she caught her breath and looked over the whole group with the trace of a smile.

Daryl grinned from ear to ear as he took the sight of her in and listened to what she was saying. She was such a city girl no matter how she strutted around carrying her sword and insisting she could 'look after herself'. "Ya got lost in the woods?" he strolled up to her with a cocky smile, supressing the urge to kiss those perfect lips.

"I made it, didn't I?" Kate straightened up as she saw him and she took the last few steps between them. He swallowed hard and she slowly traced one finger over his black eye and the cuts on his face. "You get into a fight with a grizzly bear?" she teased eventually, breaking up the mounting tension. Why had it been so much easier to run and embrace Carol in front of the group than it was just standing here talking to Kate?

"Somethin' like that" he replied as she bit her lip and held his gaze with those big brown eyes. His heart was beating like crazy. Urging him to wrap his body around hers and never let go. But he managed to keep his arms fixed at his side as he remembered the words she had said back at the prison. He'd wait for the right moment before he risked her rejection again.

"Daryl I…" she glanced over his shoulder at all the pairs of eyes that were watching them and licked her lips "I'm glad you're safe". Then Maggie joined them and their moment was gone as the farmer's daughter wrapped Kate in the warm embrace he'd wanted so desperately to give.

* * *

The group started to head off and Kate realised that she didn't feel like the new girl anymore. She belonged with this group now. The amount of them that had made it here from the prison had to be a good sign. Then her eyes drifted to her favourite redneck and her heart skipped a beat. Fate had pulled their paths together again. Why was it so difficult to articulate any of the things she wanted to say to him?

"Come on," she helped Zach off his seat on the floor. The boy was heartbroken that Beth hadn't been with the rest of the group. "We might find her" she whispered to him and could barely believe the hopeful words that were coming out of her mouth. But god she wanted to have hope and let go of her idea that anything good must always be followed by something bad. Zach nodded with half a smile before Tyreese came over and said "I got him". Kate was grateful; the little excursion to Terminus and back had left her utterly spent.

Now they had a long walk ahead on their road to nowhere and she fell in line towards the rear of the group. She could see Daryl up ahead talking with Carol and felt a pang of jealousy. Kate had pushed him away and now she was paying the price. But what did she expect if she was too much of a coward to take back the things she had told him at the prison? She let out a miserable sigh as one of the new members of the group sidled up to her.

"I'd like to introduce myself to you, my name is Eugene and I want to tell you that's a mighty fine piece of weaponry you have in your possession."

"Thank you, I'm Kate," she smiled politely and during the next half an hour or so of conversation with Eugene she concluded that he was one of the strangest men she had ever met. When she caught sight of a stray walker approaching from the woods she used the opportunity to pull out her sword and get away from the mullet man. She marched to the creature and sliced it straight through the eyeball and as the walker dropped to the ground Daryl came into view. He was fastening a freshly killed squirrel onto a piece of string before he threw it over his shoulder in true Daryl Dixon fashion. She might have been repulsed in a previous life but now she was enthralled.

"Ya makin' new friends?" he smirked as he nodded his head towards Eugene.

"Just being friendly" she tried to keep her breathing on an even keel. How she had managed to resist the man that last day at the prison she was wholly uncertain. Right now as he looked at her she felt like she was half made of jelly and could barely keep from _swooning_. She laughed internally as the idea crossed her mind and wondered what Daryl would think if she fell at his feet like some high born Regency Lady from a Jane Austen novel. _I'm finally going mad_ , she concluded and shook her head as she walked past him to re-join the group.

* * *

The sun was starting to hang low in the sky forcing the group to set up camp for the night. Daryl had managed to kill several squirrels along the journey and he took a seat on the floor while he skinned them. His eyes moved over all the people sitting around the clearing before they settled on Kate. She was sitting next to Zach on the opposite side of the fire cleaning her sword and he couldn't help but stare at her. He'd thought he would never see her again and now there she was, _pretty as a damn picture.  
_

Her big brown eyes met his and a soft smile crossed her lips as she stood up. His breath hitched and he nearly sliced the knife he was holding straight through his hand as she walked over. "Did you want something, Mr Dixon?" she raised one eyebrow as she crouched besides him.

 _Yes_. "No," he cleared his throat "did you?" he threw the question back and watched as a hint of a blush kissed her cheek. They watched each other intently and she bit her perfect lip holding in any words that wanted to come out. He cocked his head and waited for her to say whatever it was that was on the tip of her tongue but she remained silent and stubborn as ever. Daryl leaned in real close to Kate so he could feel her sweet breath on his face "ya ever skinned a squirrel?"

Kate exhaled sharply and laughed whilst she stood up "I haven't, nor do I intend to Mr Dixon…" Then she sashayed away and retook her seat across the fire from him. She picked the sword back up and continued the steady motion of stroking the cloth across the length of it as she polished the metal to perfection and Daryl felt the rest of the world fade away as he watched hypnotised. Looking was far safer than saying or doing.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Daryl had spent the evening talking with Carol, convincing her not to leave the group. At some point during their conversation he'd felt the presence of a person watching them. It had been dark and he'd looked briefly for any traces of a stranger but found nothing. Now the sun was up he told Rick that he would keep looking to see if he could find any evidence to back up the uneasy feeling he had.

As Daryl walked alone through the forest he kept the group in sight as they made their way along the train tracks to destinations unknown. Every so often he would catch a glimpse of Kate and find himself once again wondering _what the hell was going on in her head_. She had told him that being together was a mistake but the way she looked at him suggested the opposite. _Damn crazy woman_ was like a minefield that he wasn't quite ready to explore. Being rejected once had been painful enough and that had been in relative privacy. It was much safer last night keeping company with Carol even if she was talking crazy too. This was precisely why he had tried to avoid women in the past, now he found himself _knee deep in crap._

* * *

Kate and Zach walked behind Bob and Sasha listening to his 'good out of the bad' game. He was so ridiculously optimistic that Kate could hardly keep the smile off her face as she listened to him. Maybe Bob's positive outlook would rub off onto her pessimistic side? She watched Bob and Sasha share a kiss, it seemed so easy for them. Why did she always have to resist her own desires? Kate was driving herself to distraction.

Two nights ago she had accepted the fact that she would never see Daryl again. It was so much easier to know what you wanted when the chances of having it were gone. Now Kate had options she couldn't seem to make a single decision except to do nothing. In some ways it would be best to let all her romantic ideas about the redneck lay to rest and move on, that would be the smart thing to do in an apocalyptic world. Relationships were dangerous; they made people weaker, got people killed. But then Kate thought about Daryl's hands all over her body and all her points of logic seemed invalid. She wondered what words of wisdom Bob would give before the sounds of screams caught her attention and her hand reached for her weapon.

The whole group stopped in their tracks and all eyes looked to Rick for a decision on what to do. She could see the strain etched on his face and felt sorry for him. Having the weight of leadership on his shoulders can't have been easy when being constantly faced with life or death choices that affected an entire group of people. She had no doubt that Rick sometimes made a bad call but that didn't make him a bad man and in her opinion he was a worthy leader to follow. Now she waited with bated breath to see which way this would go. He moved to find the man calling for help and Kate was quick to draw her sword and follow him. Along with a few others she helped to kill the cluster of walkers that had gathered around a large rock with a terrified priest atop. When the dead were vanquished he climbed down and introduced himself as Father Gabriel.

The priest led the group to a wooden white washed church tucked neatly in the middle of tall trees. Rick took a team inside to check it out. After everything that had happened at Terminus everyone was suspicious of a trap. Kate found herself hanging back and scanning the tree line for signs of something suspicious. Father Gabriel had claimed to have not killed a single one of the dead in over 18 months of chaos and she found that almost impossible to believe. Eventually Rick returned outside declaring the church clear which did little to squash Kate's fears.

"Kate," Zach called as people began to move into the church. "My leg," there was a pool blood seeping through his jeans at his wound site.

"Let's get you inside" she helped the teenager to take a seat on a pew while she cut open his trousers to see his injury. The stitches seemed to have worked loose and the wound had busted open. "It's okay, I'll stitch you back up, it's not going to be a problem," Kate reassured Zach while digging around in her backpack for some clean fabric which she had taken from the sewing room in the little house. She found the squares of baby pink gingham cotton and passed them to him to put pressure on his wound.

All around people were getting organised to go on various supply runs and before Rick took Father Gabriel away to search for food she caught up to him. "I need some supplies to stitch a wound, is there anything in the church?"

"In my office there's a first aid kit hung on the wall, I could help you,"

"You're staying with me," Rick pulled him back forcefully.

"I'll find it," she said to Gabriel with a stern expression. Why was the man so desperate to stay at the church? She couldn't settle the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and scanned the tree line once more. The sight of Daryl and Carol caught her attention as she watched them head off on their own private mission and she got the impression that he was avoiding her. They hadn't exchanged a single word all day. She sighed as she plodded back into the church to sort out Zach's leg.

* * *

"Hey, British," Kate looked up from the medical kit to the action man that was trying so rudely to get her attention. She hadn't spoken to him yet but she had overheard him being called Abraham. He sat Eugene down on the bench next to Zach. "I've seen you do your thing with your sword," he laughed and gave her a wink "that man right there is precious cargo that needs babysitting while I fix the bus out back. Can I trust you with that?"

"I have a name and it's Kate," she stared at Abraham.

"He's cool with us," Zach volunteered nicely and the army man nodded his head before he left.

Eugene gave them an awkward smile "I'm not good at killing dead ones."

* * *

Evening fell and the whole group gathered in the church to enjoy a chance to sleep indoors as well as a large meal. Rick and the others had hit the jackpot finding a small mountain of food. Kate had her place by Zach and she had noticed that Daryl once again had kept his distance. There was no privacy to really talk to him. Kate didn't know whether she was more irritated that he was avoiding her or at herself for not doing anything about it.

Abraham stood up and proposed a toast to all the survivors and started to talk about everyone heading to DC to save the world. She looked around the faces of the group and this didn't seem like a surprise to them. Yet nobody had thought to mention the plan to either her or Zach. Then he pointed to Eugene and talked about 'flipping the switch' and Kate felt herself becoming even more annoyed.

Kate looked incredulously at the mullet man, he wasn't her idea of the saviour of the world. Maybe it would have been better to be kept in the dark about risking her life to get to the capital because she sure as hell didn't feel comfortable doing it for what was in her option a completely fool hardy mission. She looked at all of the happy faces nodding along and felt like she was going crazy. Were they not seeing what she was seeing? Did they really believe that this man could 'reset' the world?

Before Kate knew what she was doing she jumped to her feet as her mounting frustration tried to find a release. Her sudden movement caught Abraham's attention "you got something to say British?" That pissed her off. Kate gripped the handle of her sword for support as she narrowed her eyes at Abraham. She felt a primal urge to fight, it was her body's natural response. Her brain was getting so used to sending her into fight or flight mode over and over. She took a few steps closer to the man.

"He's going to save human kind?" she half laughed.

"Damn right"

"Bollocks," she enunciated the word for effect. "I'd like to see proof of this… I mean he could be anyone… I could be the Duchess of bloody Devonshire for all you know".

He started to give her some spiel about how Eugene didn't need to prove himself but she couldn't let it drop. She couldn't do what this man wanted based on sheer faith and trust. She sensed Daryl sidling up to her as her argument got even more heated with Abraham. Kate felt like a woman possessed.

"I'm not following a scientist with a mullet!"

"Reign your damn woman in" Abraham called to Daryl and Zach as they both tried to calm her, but she felt even more furious and everyone's eyes on her made her feel like she couldn't possible back down from this fight. She hated to lose.

"Why don't' you reign your… moustache in" she shouted the first thing that came to her head and felt herself blush in shame at hitting such a low blow. She covered her mouth with her hand and the church seemed to go silent before the sound of Rosita's laughs broke out to diffuse the tension.

* * *

Daryl held Kate's shoulders and she could barely look him in the eye. He hardly knew what had come over her in the past 15 minutes. She had gone about everything like a bull in a china shop but what she was saying did make sense. She was smart and in her own way trying to look out for the group. Now all he could think about was how much of a turn on he had found it to see her so mad and wild. He liked that fighting side of her. She looked so pretty with her flushed angry face, he was just glad that she'd been mad at Abraham and not himself.

Miss Uppity pulled out of his grip and grabbed her coat, as she started to walk away he reached out for her arm but she swerved her body to avoid him. "I just want some fresh air."

"Kate," Zach called.

"I can manage on my own… I did for months," she looked at them both and then walked out of the church.

"We don't need her," Abraham said to the group when Kate had left.

"I ain't leavin' without her," Daryl decided out loud and Zach agreed. "But if everyone else wants to go… she'll come around in er own time." He hoped but she was so damn stubborn there was no telling what she might do. A movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention as he was talking and he turned in time to see Carol sneaking away. He had been afraid she was going to try and leave. Maybe now she was taking the chance. He grabbed his crossbow and followed Carol. As he left the church there was no sign of Miss Uppity but he was only one man and he decided he couldn't allow Carol to leave.

* * *

Kate leaned on a tree in the darkness and felt completely humiliated. She hated confrontation but she had started that one. She watched as Carol came out of the church and wondered where on earth the woman was going. Then moments later Daryl exited and followed her. She gripped the handle of her sword tightly. Ever since Terminus Kate had been acutely aware of just how much time Daryl had been spending with the other woman. She stood in the dark seething, almost wishing a walker would traipse out of the forest so she could _smash its fucking skull in._

A few minutes went by before Kate decided to 'man up' and go talk to the redneck. She headed in the direction he had gone and kept walking and walking. She couldn't seem to find Carol or Daryl anywhere. She whispered their names in the dark and felt her senses heightened as her ears picked up every little noise that sounded in the darkness around her. But there was no answer to her calls and eventually she gave up and headed back to the church.

When she opened the door to enter the building she was almost hit in the head by Abraham, "oh look it's the duchess of Devonshire" he shouted to the frenzy of the room. Kate moved past him and could see Bob sitting in the middle of the floor; he was missing half a leg. _Shit_ , "what's happened?"

"It was the people from Terminus, they're hunting us," Rick said as he helped Sasha move Bob to the sofa in Gabriel's office.

Zach shuffled over to Kate and held her, "don't leave like that, they could have taken you."

She ruffled his hair and felt guilty for abandoning him since she was supposed to be looking after the boy. "I'm okay… where's Daryl?"

"Bob said that the hunters saw him and Carol take off in a car," her first thought was that they had run away together but then as she looked around the group she changed her mind. These people were Daryl's family, surely he wouldn't leave them? Kate was snapped out of her thoughts as Abraham started to tell everyone that it was time to leave the church. He wanted them all to get into the bus before the hunters attacked them even if it meant leaving in the night and without the missing two.

An argument started amongst the group and Kate stayed out of it. She had already said her piece on what she thought about Eugene and his 'cure'. Quite frankly she didn't care who took the bus, who stayed, who left, all she was interested in was waiting for Daryl to come back and killing whoever stood in her way.

* * *

Glenn managed to get Abraham to stay for one more night so that together they could destroy the hunters once and for all. Bob had told them the location of the cannibal's camp, a simple 10 minute walk away from the church. This had made Rick suspicious of a trap. "They want us to find them," he said and from that the plan had come together quickly. Kate would accompany the group that would pretend to leave the church to find the camp at the nearby school while the others would hide in Father Gabriel's office as bait.

* * *

Kate and the others hid in the shadows as they waited for the people from Terminus to make their move. She could hardly believe how well the plan was working. The hunters were so bloodthirsty for revenge for what had happened at Terminus that they had become careless.

"Let's go," Rick whispered after a few minutes had passed and they crept their way back to the church. Standing outside they could hear the hunters' leader, Gareth, tormenting the people inside. Everyone took their positions in the darkness and things seemed to move quickly as she watched Sasha, Rick and Abraham tear the cannibals apart like a pack of wild dogs. It was disturbing to behold yet she couldn't pull her eyes away.

* * *

Just wanted to say thanks to all the new people who have favorited and followed my story. But an especially big thanks to jeanf! I love reading your comments on the chapters :D if you've made it this far please review!


	23. Chapter 23

The morning was a sombre affair as Bob lay in the office of the church taking his final breaths. Daryl and Carol were still missing and Abraham and Rosita were getting the bus ready for leaving. Kate sat with Zach in silence. She was waiting but she didn't quite know what for anymore. She'd given up speculating at this point and was now accepting that life was an endless haphazard chain of events that she had no control over. Maybe it always had been.

The sounds of Sasha's sobs echoed around the quiet church and everyone knew it was all over for Bob. "I'll go" Tyreese said as he made his way to his sister. Kate felt numb, only yesterday she had been watching Sasha and Bob share a happy kiss and now he was gone forever. She knew the pain of losing somebody that you loved.

Eugene took a seat on the pew next to her "this group should stick together, whatever you think of me… well you pretty much told that part straight… I know that Washington is the best chance of survival." Abraham had got everything ready for the journey by now and wanted to leave for the capital as soon as possible. Not everyone was going on the journey, Rick and some others were going to stay behind to wait for Daryl and Carol. It was without question which group Kate aligned herself with.

"Eugene, if you could have promised me a bath and a hot cup of tea at the end of all this mess then I would get you to the fucking moon… but don't make promises you can't keep." Kate stared at him directly in the eye and she saw the flicker of something cross his face but he remained silent.

"Get your ass over here before the Duchess runs you through," Abraham called and Eugene obeyed like a scared child.

Soon the whole group found themselves saying goodbye to one and other, trying to remain optimistic that they would be able to meet back up eventually. Abraham gave Rick a map of their route and as the bus drove off there was a collective sigh from the people left behind. It didn't feel right to part ways given the circumstances but Abraham was infallible in his pursuit of the cure and would not be convinced to wait any longer. Kate thought he was a fool, but admired his tenacity.

* * *

At some point the day had plodded into night and there was no sign of the missing two. Kate sat in solitude and silence as she looked through her pictures of Harry and tried to stop thinking about everything that had happened in the past few weeks. Kate's time with Daryl in the prison seemed so long ago now that it almost felt like it had never even happened. Her mind prepared her to expect the worse so she wouldn't feel disappointed when it occurred.

"He'll be back," Rick sat down next to Kate with Judith in his arms and the brunette reached out to stroke the baby's hair and hold her squidgy little hand. "Daryl said he wouldn't leave without you last night and when we were going to Terminus all he could think about was finding you." Rick had a shameless smile on his face.

"I didn't take you for some kind of match making gossip."

"I got Daryl's back," Rick chuckled. "I've seen how you are together," Rick kissed Judith on the head with a smile "we gotta hold on to the good things."

The Sound of the church door opening caught their attention and as they looked towards it Michonne walked in followed by Daryl and a young man. Kate's heart leaped at the sight of the redneck and she blushed at the conversation she had just unexpectedly shared with Rick of all people.

"Where's Carol?" Rick said as everyone gathered in the centre of the church.

"She's with Beth, they're bein' held at some hospital in Atlanta," Daryl replied and then pointed to the boy "This is Noah, Beth helped him escape."

"We'll get them back," Rick said. "Tomorrow we'll take a team to Atlanta… everyone should get some rest". Kate's heart sank at the situation. There always seemed to something bad just around the corner to make it impossible to hold onto the good like Rick had suggested. Every day they were doing their best just to keep the group together.

* * *

Kate spent the next hour convincing Zach that he would have to stay at the church tomorrow when the team went to rescue Beth. He had grand ideas that he wanted to be the one to save her but she suspected that those same ideas would get him killed. As much as she liked the boy he was hardly adept at fighting and with his leg he would be even more vulnerable. Now the teenager had finally gone to sleep she found herself restless and conjuring up her own worries about what might happen in Atlanta.

Kate stood up and noticed Daryl sitting on the floor with his back against the wall staring at the ground. She tiptoed around the sleeping bodies in the church and sat next to him "I thought you were gone."

He reached out his hand tentatively before his fingers twirled around her hair and he gently caressed his thumb along the length of it causing her tummy to flutter. Daryl looked mesmerized before his navy blue eyes found hers and made her breath catch, "I wouldn't leave ya." His voice was low and gruff and she realised just how much she loved the comforting sound of it.

Kate took his hand in her own and turned it over so she could trace the roughness of his palm and remember how her skin had felt under his dexterous touch. She swallowed hard, "people say that but… nobody _wants_ to leave." She looked towards Sasha who was adrift in restless sleep while Tyreese held her hand. Kate licked her lips "do you think we'll ever find a place to be safe?" _together_ she added secretly.

"We have to," Daryl clenched his hand out of hers and cleared his throat. "But first we'll get Beth and Carol." His worry for the two women was etched on his face as he settled his head on his bag and lay down. Kate crept back to her place on the floor and wrapped herself in the blanket she had found and imagined briefly that it was Daryl's arms. But the sensation didn't come even the tiniest bit close.

* * *

Daryl stood with a small team in a warehouse in the middle of Atlanta. They were deciding what would be the best plan for the rescue mission. Rick wanted to organise a sneak attack and kill anyone that got in their way. Tyreese thought that it would be better to capture some of the police officers from the hospital and use them to bargain with in exchange for Beth and Carol.

Daryl agreed that a trade-off would be the best way to go. He didn't want people to die today. He didn't want anything to happen to Kate. He hated that she was there risking her life, hated that he wasn't protecting her. The redneck felt a pang of animalistic instinct, if she was going to be his mate then he needed to find her somewhere safe and not be forever running.

"An exchange didn't work out too well for Hershel," Kate added as she stood gazing out of the window.

"The governor wanted blood no matter what we did," Daryl said trying to be more optimistic about the current situation and Kate didn't respond.

"Dawn will make the trade… it'll be safest for Beth," Noah confirmed and since he was the only one who had ever met the woman in question they all decided to go with his recommendation. Using the young man as bait they fired off some gun shots to lure some unsuspecting police officers into their trap.

The patrol car arrived promptly and two officers stepped out to apprehend Noah. When they were distracted the group came out of hiding and forced the cops to surrender "do what we say and we won't hurt you" Rick said as he forced them to their knees and cuffed them. Everything was going smoothly until another car arrived out of nowhere to run them all down. Daryl grabbed Kate by the waist as he pulled her out of the way and his body was well aware of the closeness even in the stress of what was happening. _Goddamn she smells so good_.

He was forced to release her from his grasps as they all pursued the runaway car and found it abandoned on the next road. Everyone got a glimpse of two out of the three police officers as they ran away on foot. Rick and the others chased them while Daryl held back to check the area around the car for the third cop.

There were burned walkers everywhere, melted to the floor like pieces of gum on a hot day. _What a fuckin way to go_ he cringed as he stepped over them and checked every likely hiding place. He thought the area was clear when from nowhere the missing police officer jumped him and they wrestled, eventually falling to the ground. The man was strong and Daryl reached around for anything he could use for a weapon as the officer wrapped his hands tighter around his throat.

Suddenly blood was everywhere as a blade sliced through the man's chest, the cop slumped down and Daryl's eyes met with Kate's. "Jesus Christ," he shouted as he pushed the police officer off him. "I could a handled that."

"He was killing you!"

Daryl dragged the cop's body around the back of a nearby trailer to hide it from the sight of the other police officers. Kate was wiping her blade on a piece of fabric and he walked over to her and held her wrist. "I don't want you killing people like that," he said as he looked into her big brown eyes remembering what had become of Rick and Carol. Every human life they had taken had made them harder. Kate still had a gentle side under all her stubbornness that he didn't want her to lose. "Ya can't always come back from it."

"We couldn't find the other one," Rick said as he pulled one of the prisoners along and Daryl let go of Kate's wrist.

"Walker got him when he was runnin' away," he covered for the brunette so the death of the cop by her blade wouldn't jeopardise the plan.

* * *

They all headed back into the warehouse and when everyone moved to the second floor Kate held back and sat on the bottom step of the staircase. She couldn't stop thinking about what Daryl had just told her. _He was right._ She had killed that police officer when she could have simply stopped him. She'd seen Daryl in danger and had killed unthinkingly. In the moment she hadn't seen a man, just a problem to remove. It was a fine line between self-defence and becoming a murderer. Although killing a man was exactly what the redneck had done for her the first time they met.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout the stairway and Kate stood up to meet whoever was running down towards her. It was one of the cops, his face was panicked as he realised that she was there and he hesitated. Kate felt stunned but her hand worked on instinct and automatically pulled out her sword and as she held it in front of her she told him "it's over" hoping he would agree. They stood at a tense impasse before Rick came bounding down the stairs and grabbed the man. Kate sighed heavily while sheaving her blade and helped take the prisoner back upstairs.

* * *

Dawn agreed to the prisoner exchange and they all made their way to Grady Memorial. Everyone was on full alert as they entered the hospital and moved up the stairwell to the top floor. The trade-off was planned to take place in the hallway outside of the stair way and Kate braced herself when Rick moved through the door. Everyone filed in behind him and both sides of the treaty stood face to face. The exchange seemed to be over as quickly as it had begun and she breathed a small sigh of relief as they started to make their bid for freedom. But the relief was short lived as Dawn called for Noah to be returned to her.

Kate could feel the electricity in the air as everyone's hands seemed to brush against their weapons. Rick and Dawn stood at a standpoint over Noah and then one thing led to another and the scene exploded like wildfire. Beth dropped to the floor from a fatal gunshot wound as Daryl executed revenge on Dawn, point blank to the head. The fact that less than two hours ago he had explicitly told her she shouldn't kill people wasn't lost on her in that moment and she ran to comfort him.

As Kate's hand touched his shoulder he pulled away, "everything turns to shit, just like you said." Then he knelt by Beth's body and wept. Her own tears refused to flow and she felt hollow as she watched Daryl lose control in a way she had never expected him to. No words were spoken as they all made their way out of the hospital with Daryl cradling Beth's body.

Outside, the sounds of screams pierced the silence and Kate was shocked as she realised the cries were coming from Maggie. The people they had said goodbye to yesterday were somehow here instead of on their way to DC. Zach had arrived with them too and he joined with Maggie and the others in gathering around Beth. Kate stood to the side quietly, feeling like an intruder in the private moment of all the people who truly loved the young girl.

Abraham took a place besides her, "you were right duchess…" was all he said but that could only mean one thing considering he was here now and not on his way to Washington. Eugene had been lying about a cure after all.

Kate looked Abraham in the eyes, "I didn't want to be." He looked broken and she misplaced the hug she wanted to give to Daryl onto him.


	24. Chapter 24

"Richmond, Virginia, it's where Noah is from. Beth wanted to take him home. He has a community there, might be the last trip we have to make" Rick said.

Nobody argued against his decision. They had spent the morning burying Beth's body and there was nothing left to do now except keep on moving. They had the fire engine to carry most of the group and they found a car for the rest.

"Damn, I can't drive this…" Tyreese said as he assumed the driver's seat. "Can you drive a stick?" he asked Daryl but the redneck ignored him and stared out of the window. Beth's death had resonated throughout the group. But it affected Daryl most of all and he completely closed himself off.

"I can," Kate said and exchanged places with Tyreese. She buckled herself in the seat and took a long look at Daryl. Kate wanted desperately to talk to him but found herself without the right words. Words didn't make grief go away, only time. She reached out gingerly and gave his knee a gentle squeeze. He didn't react but it made Kate feel marginally better.

She glanced in the rear-view mirror at the people squeezed into the back of the car, made even worse now that Tyreese was in her place since he was twice the size of her. If everyone wasn't so exhausted and miserable it would almost be funny. But no one was laughing. Even Zach was entirely silent.

 _Well at least I get to drive_ , she was grateful that she now got to sit up front where there was some breathing room. _Thank god for small mercies._ She put the car into first gear and followed the fire engine to begin their road trip.

* * *

 _2 weeks later_

There was no sanctuary to be found in their journey to Noah's home only another death, _Tyreese_. Kate couldn't look at Sasha after the news had been told. She didn't want to bear witness to another heart breaking. She found herself wondering if she would ever bear witness to anything happy, good or worthwhile again. They were like the dead now, merely existing. She'd been happy to live like that for such a long time but not anymore. Her eyes found Daryl but he was fading into the forest, withdrawing from the group.

* * *

Their endless road trip to Richmond became a journey to DC. Kate felt like they were looking for something intangible, chasing safety that always seemed to turn a corner when they got close. But what else was there to do?

When they were 60 miles outside of their destination they found themselves without food, water or gas. Giving up the vehicles to walk the rest of the way was a painful experience and everyone plodded along the road slowly as the dead tailed them like vultures. Kate noticed Daryl yet again separating himself from the group at every opportunity and disappearing into the woods. He was still barely speaking to anyone.

* * *

"Why ya followin' me?"

"Keeping an eye on you," Carol said and he scoffed in response. He didn't _need looking after like a fucking baby._ "I'm worried… you're drifting away from the group."

She stood in front of him and gave one of her stern expressions but what was he supposed to say? He was just doing his best to get through the day and it wasn't fucking easy. He didn't even want to have this damned conversation. Why couldn't she just leave him in peace like he wanted? Maybe he wanted to drift away from the group. Then he'd never have to feel like this again.

"Beth is gone, but we're not dead…" she told him and then left. He looked through the trees in the direction of the group and thought about Kate, no wonder she didn't want to be with him. The way he was feeling now, he couldn't imagine how much it would hurt to lose a child.

* * *

Night was closing in once again and everyone sat on the side of the road. They had found nothing to sustain them, only a bottle of whiskey. Kate watched Abraham take a drink of it and considered joining him before realising if she started it would be too difficult to stop. She rested her head on her knees and tried to recall happy memories but all she could think about was the way her stomach was churning painfully begging for food.

A rustling in the bushes caught her attention and she saw a pack of vicious dogs jump out of the forest. She didn't flinch since she barely had the strength to hold up her own head. The pop popping of a gun sounded off as Sasha put the animals down. Rick grabbed a stick and along with Daryl he built a fire and cooked the family pets, "a leg for everyone" she mused darkly while staring at the meat in her hand.

The meat hitting her stomach made her feel sick but she forced as much as she could manage down before she passed her share to Zach and then lay on the ground and curled into a ball. Could life get any lower than this? Lying by the side of a road, unwashed and disgusting, eating some mangy dog meat cooked on a stick. No bed, no comfort.

Everyone was miserable. Would they ever find a place to rest their heads and create a real life? Much more of this would surely end them all. Even the strongest can only go so far in deprivation. They were becoming almost as feral as the dogs they were eating.

Her thoughts made their way back to the redneck, this was how he'd lived his whole life or close enough to it. Kate on the other hand had been camping approximately two times in her life and hated it even though it had been in the relative comfort of a tent. She groaned at the feeling of the hard floor and her upset tummy, what would she give for a bloody tent now?

* * *

The next morning Kate ventured into the forest to use the little girl's room with as much dignity as she could manage in the situation. Then she found she didn't want to head back so she kept on walking. She came across a walker crawling around on the floor missing one leg. She pulled out her knife and finished it before noticing a bush filled with berries. Her mouth watered in anticipation of the sweet juicy liquid contained within the fruit and she kneeled down to pluck one off the vine.

"They're poison," the familiar voice called from behind her. She hadn't even heard him approach.

"How can you tell?" she felt forlorn, "They look so much like blackberries."

"Look at the leaf," his thumb ran over the foliage as he crouched down beside her. "What ya doin' out 'er anyway?"

"Escaping… what's worse being completely alone or around people all the time?" she stood up "It's stifling."

"Sorry everyone survivin' is stifling ya," he said gruffly.

"You're twisting my words… you like to be alone…. every time I catch sight of you it's the back of your head as you sneak off into the trees." She was feeling irritable and speaking to Mr Dixon certainly wasn't improving her mood.

"I'm here now."

"Yeah… with your bad attitude… you're not the only one that's lost people."

"You'd know all there is about… movin' on... how's that working out for ya?"

Daryl's words stung and she wanted to slap him hard but she thought better of it "just go fuck yourself Daryl Dixon." She tightened her grip around her sword and felt like she might burst into tears, this wasn't how she wanted things to go. She sighed heavily and pushed past him to re-join the group.

* * *

 _Shit_ , Daryl thought as Kate walked away. Why did he have to be such a dick to her? _Fuck_ he punched a nearby tree until his knuckle bled before storming off in the opposite direction feeling ashamed.

Before he knew it he was standing in a field staring at an abandoned barn lighting a cigarette and wondering why he had run away from Kate when he should have chased after her.

Beth was gone, really gone. But he wasn't and neither was Kate he sighed painfully. _Fuck_ , he took a long drag of his cigarette. He was pushing Kate away just like she had tried to do to him. They were both so scared of something bad happening that they refused to allow anything good to happen. Daryl laughed darkly. The woman was making him fucking crazy.

The only thing worse than losing Kate would be never having her in the first place he realised. No matter how much she drove him out of his mind, he wanted all of her all the time. They might never find a safe place again and he didn't want to wait around forever. She'd wanted him once before, he'd make her want him again if it killed him.

He just had to "grow some fuckin' balls and stop bein' so scared of a fuckin girl" he said to himself channelling his inner Merle.

Daryl flicked his cigarette butt into the field and turned on his heel filled with determination as his feet guided him back to the group quickly. He wanted to be done with feeling miserable, _damn this world could eat you alive in more ways than one if you let it._

Everyone was standing around a cluster of water bottles on the ground and Rick passed him a note, 'from A friend'. _What the hell was this?_ Everyone was arguing over if they should trust the water or not. People were dehydrated and desperate.

But Daryl could only see Kate. She was watching everyone with that wild look she got when she was prepared to fight her corner. He suddenly felt a little less brave than previously. She _might tear him a new one_ if he pissed her off again.

Then something changed and she relaxed and lifted her face towards the sky, closing her eyes as she let the rain drops that were starting to fall kiss her cheeks. Daryl held his hand out to catch some in disbelief. _Just like that_. Everything was different. It was like a miracle, a sign that everything would be okay.

Kate laughed as she caught drops of water in her mouth then she glanced at him and their eyes locked. Her whole face was lit up in joy and he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her smile, she had a great smile. He wanted to be the one to make sure it never left her face again. He strode over to her and clasped his hands on her arms, "I'm sorry." Then pulled her close and buried his face in her hair to relish the moment. "I'm sorry," he said again but now he was sorrier for not doing this sooner.

Kate put her hands on his chest and pulled away from his embrace to look at him with those big doe eyes "I know." Beads of water rolled down her face and he thought she had never looked more beautiful. If he had to pursue her until his last breath that's what he would do. He didn't want another moment to go by without her knowing how he felt, how much he yearned for her. Daryl's hand reached out to touch her cheek and she nestled her face into his touch. What the hell had he been waiting for?

His breath caught and he forgot that anyone else existed as he buried his fingers in her hair and pulled her towards his mouth for a much desired kiss. His heart pounded madly at the feeling of her soft lips pressed against his and his tongue teased its way into her mouth. Kate wrapped her hands around his neck and stood on the tips of her toes, pushing herself flush against his body. He felt like he might burst and wanted to lay her bare right in the middle of the road and rain.

A huge crack of thunder exploded from above making Kate jump in fright and bringing them back to gripped his shoulders and caught her breath. He ran his finger along her flushed cheek once more. "Don't worry. I'll protect ya," he mocked and she rolled her eyes and bit her lip in the way that drove him crazy.

"What are we going to do?" someone shouted, reminding him that they weren't alone. He ran his fingers through his hair in slight embarrassment at what he'd just done in front of the group before looking at the dark clouds overtaking the sky.

"Follow me," he said to the panicked faces of the group as he remembered the barn he had found.

* * *

Kate sat by Daryl around a fire with the others as they tried to dry off from the rain. Her mind replayed their kiss over and over. Where it had come from she wasn't sure and public displays of affection weren't exactly her style. Not that she was complaining but now she couldn't even cast a single look at Daryl without a reaction from someone that made her feel like a teenager and blush for the hundredth time.

She tried to focus on what Rick was saying but her body had other ideas and was now only interested in one thing. She cleared her throat and listened to the ex sheriff call the group the 'walking dead' and the phrase resonated within Kate. It was exactly how she had been feeling up until the point Daryl's lips had been on hers, reminding her that she was flesh and blood. Her body was tingling enthusiastically for more in a way that almost shocked her. The way he made her feel was worth any of the consequences she could think up.

* * *

Daryl made his way to the far end of the barn to light a cigarette. He didn't want to talk about being like the dead. He'd just decided to live. He hoped Kate might join him and they could make good on his ideas about living. This wasn't exactly private but, _fuck it_ , where was private anyway? He'd waited long enough and quite frankly with the way he was feeling he'd have had her on that road if he'd thought she'd agree to it.

As he stood alone in the dark a faint groaning from outside caught his attention. It was barely audible under the deafening noise of the storm. As he peered through the door his heart jumped out of his chest. _Shit_ , a horde of dead had massed outside the barn and were pushing on the doors. He leaned his weight to try and brace it and then Kate ran over like he'd been hoping she would and took his side bracing the door. _Who said romance was dead?_ He laughed manically _._ Soon the whole group were bracing the door as the sounds of a powerful tornado rampaged outside.

* * *

The storm had passed and everyone was exhausted. Daryl took it upon himself to keep watch over night. They didn't need any more surprises. Kate sat next to him and scrunched her face up as she yawned like a kitten. "I'll keep watch with you," she smiled and they sat side by side leaning against the wall of the barn as everyone settled down.

"I met that man that ya hit with a tin of peaches," he said and Kate didn't respond. When he looked at her he laughed as he realised she was fast asleep still sitting up. Daryl eased her down to make her more comfortable and she curled into a tiny ball. Then he found a blanket and tucked her in before stroking her hair softly "yer not so tough as ya think ya are," he whispered with a smile as he brushed her hair from her face. This wasn't quite what he'd had in mind for sleeping with Kate but it would do, at least she was next to him and since he was the only person awake he could look at her all he wanted. And he liked looking at her.


	25. Chapter 25

The noise of people moving about the barn pulled Kate out of her sleep and she slowly opened her eyes to see Daryl watching her. He raised his eyebrows and smirked which made her blush.

"Thanks for helpin' me keep watch last night," he said.

She stretched lazily before sitting up and wrapping her blanket around her shoulders. Her fingers traced the rough fabric and she realised that she hadn't gone to sleep with a blanket on her. _Daryl must have put it on_. The thought filled her with warm fuzzy feelings. It wasn't so very bad being under Daryl Dixons personal protection.

"Wanna get out of here?" he held out his hand and she took it.

"Gonna scout around, see if I can find some food," he told Rick before they headed off into the wilderness. Evidence of last night's storm was all around, with felled trees and walkers torn apart. It was a wonder that the barn had remained untouched. Maybe everyone's sheer determination to survive had repelled the tornado she thought idly.

"Thinkin' about what ya said yesterday, now we have the whole mornin' to ourselves," he gave her a sheepish smile. And the idea excited her as much as it scared her. She was well aware of the mounting tension between them but given the circumstances she was hardly feeling at her most feminine. Weeks on the road had made her somewhat pungent and she felt self-conscious to think of Daryl being intimate with her body when it was in such a way. Although he probably wouldn't care.

They walked slowly through the trees casting awkward glances at each other. Neither of them was paying attention to where they were going or looking for food, they walked in a big circle and exchanged not a single word. But her tummy fluttered madly and her palms were sweaty with nervous excitement. She couldn't put her finger on why she was feeling so green around a man she had already shared her body with but he made her feel like a girl on a first date rather than an experienced woman. The tension reached fever pitch and Kate thought that they might set the whole forest on fire with what was burning between them.

She let out a shaky breath and leaned against a tree, "we should probably… um talk… about… you know…" _oh dear god_ what the hell was she trying to say? Words were escaping her. She was quite possibly the most awkward person on the planet when it came to this sort of thing. Maybe she should have never even opened her mouth and just kissed him.

"Spit it out woman," he gripped his crossbow and looked uncertain. She felt bad, he probably though that she was going to reject him like last time.

"Okay," Kate laughed nervously. "I want you to know that I want… this… you … us…" she looked anywhere but Daryl feeling like she might run away at any moment from embarrassment. _You are a grown woman_ , she chastised herself. "But…" she walked closer to him and stroked her hands down his perfect arms and felt her heart flutter, "It does scare me… how I feel… when I'm with you."

* * *

"How do ya feel?" His heart jumped and he tried to remain calm. Here was a woman he was falling for and she was telling him she wanted him, that she felt something for him. God he wanted to be inside her so bad right now.

Kate's eyes went wide and she fiddled with the handle of her sword, it was funny to see her so lost for words and uncomfortable. He knew she wasn't lost for words very often. Whenever she was talking to people in the group he was always struck with how smart she was and now she was unable to string a sentence together. She was flushed and breathless and he hadn't even touched her yet. "I feel like…" she looked off to the side "Eugene."

"What? Eugene?"

"Right there," he followed her line of sight and sure enough the man was making his way over. _Fuck_ , he growled. _What was she going to say?_ He should have taken her further into the woods when he had the chance but he reminded himself that she had said she wanted him and that was at least one step in the right direction, but she had said that sort of thing before. He eyed her curiously.

* * *

 _Thank god for Eugene_ , she breathed a sigh of relief. What the hell was she going to say anyway? One side of her wanted to run away with Daryl and build their own private treehouse where they could make babies all day long. The other side of her was terrified of getting pregnant or dying or whatever the hell else might happen. _God, why couldn't he just kiss her and stop her from over analysing everything_. She was her own worst enemy. She wanted to bang her head against the tree.

"A man has just turned up, his name is Aaron. He was watching us yesterday and wants us to join his community."

"What's happening?"

"Rick don't trust him, he's sent some people to check out his car and he wants everyone else to split up and keep watch on the barn in case it's a trap... can I stay with you guys?"

"Yes," she said in time with Daryl's "no." They shared a look and Kate shrugged her shoulders before reaffirming the 'yes' to Eugene. She couldn't possibly continue their conversation until she had decided what she wanted to say and then rehearsed it. _Or you could just shag him like you want to_ , she blushed at her inner thoughts and cast another breathless glance to Mr Dixon.

* * *

Daryl knew he should probably be watching the barn but all he could think about was the best way to get rid of Eugene. He pictured cold cocking him on the head and then he could be alone with the brunette, showing her how he felt in a more literal sense. It was hard to focus on words or much of anything with the tent in his pants controlling almost every thought entering his brain.

In hindsight he should have come out on his own this morning and then he could have taken care of the situation that was straining painfully against his jeans instead of standing around in frustration. All that was between him and Kate needed to be released soon or he felt he might actually explode into a thousand pieces. _How could she look so fucking relaxed?_

"They're back," she said and started to walk towards the barn to see what news the group had on the vehicles they had gone to investigate. "You coming?" she called to him and he almost burst at her choice words.

"I will… just gonna hang back a while, make sure everythin' is… in order."

A road trip to some safe zone? God only knows when he might get a chance to be with Kate like he wanted to. One kiss and he was already hooked on her again. When everyone had gone into the barn his eyes swept the area for any signs of danger before he could relax. He leaned one hand on a tree, unzipping his manhood from his jeans. Daryl breathed in relief, he already felt better. He started to make steady strokes with only one thing on his mind, _Kate_. He replayed their kiss, the feeling of her mouth on his and her soft full breast pressed against his chest. Only this time it didn't end there...

She swept her hands down his stomach as she dropped to her knees. He groaned heavily at the image in his mind, _goddamn_. He pictured Kate kneeling before him as she unfastened his belt with those deft fingers, looking at him hungrily and licking her lips. She took him in her hand and stroked his length slowly, teasing him. While that perfect mouth spread open in anticipation glistening with moisture ready to devour him. He felt his orgasm start to heighten to near release as he pumped his hand urgently. Then he pictured her wrapping her soft pink lips around his end and the idea was too enticing to resist and he could contain his desperation for release no longer. _Fuck_ , he burst apart hard with Kate's name on his tongue.

Daryl leaned his head against the tree in temporary ecstasy before he caught his breath and laughed. _Kate would probably never get on her knees for anyone._ It had felt relieving to climax but it hadn't satiated him in the way that it used to, he needed something more. He needed her, naked, wet and wanting, calling his name as she reached her peak. _Fuckin hell_ , he hoped this new community was the real deal so he could find them a bed and never leave it.

* * *

Daryl walked back to the barn in a daze, he was completely spent and remembered that he hadn't slept at all last night. The sounds of Rick arguing were apparent before he even entered the building. He strode in and took a long look at the man called Aaron, he was talking to the group about how they were going to get to his 'community'.

"Using a different route and going at night is just putting your people in danger," Aaron looked desperately at the redneck. "You want your wife to be safe? Don't risk her life like this."

"My wife?" Daryl laughed.

Aaron looked a little confused at Daryl's reaction and then gestured towards Kate, "I watched you last night…" Daryl just laughed again and saw the brunettes cheeks flush.

"You led your people to safety in this barn… that's when I knew you belonged in my community."

Rick's mind was already made up on the plan, "we leave tonight… get some rest if you can."

The redneck didn't say anything in protest since he couldn't stop thinking that Aaron had thought Kate could be his wife. The man hadn't even batted an eyelid at it. The thought that he could truly have someone like her belong to him made him swell with pride.

His eyes roamed over her figure and rested on her face. He'd never thought he would be the marrying kind but then he'd never wanted to possess a woman as much as he wanted Kate. Maybe he should marry her and then he wouldn't have to worry about her changing her mind every time he got close to her.

He lay on the ground of the barn to get some rest and couldn't stop picturing the brunette as a bride. _Holy shit_ , the idea of being with a woman long term had never even entered his mind before. It was never even in the realms of possibility. But that's exactly what he wanted from Kate, wasn't it? He half opened his eyes and looked to the direction he could hear her voice.

She'd make a beautiful bride. _Fucking hell, I'm going as soft as a baby._ A baby? That was another thing entirely. This kind of shit is why he stayed alone. But with a woman like her soft and warm yet wild and strong he could see a life together. Even in the middle of the end of the world. She'd never stand in a kitchen all day baking pies, but she could chop a man's head clean off and that was even better nowadays.

He forced himself to sleep. He was going delirious planning a future with a woman who hadn't agreed to anything except being scared of wanting him. But she _wanted him_ he reminded himself yet again and a huge smile spread across his face.

* * *

Night fell and everyone made the journey to Aaron's vehicles. Rick, Glenn, Michonne and the hostage jumped into the car and everyone else squashed into the RV. The campervan was large but it was certainly cosy with 12 people in it. Kate sat shoulder to shoulder with Daryl in the little space between the bedroom and the main portion on the RV.

"Ya think we can trust this?"

"I don't know… but if this is a trap…" she sighed "what's the point in anything?" It was so hard to be constantly looking for danger all the time. Being on the road was unbearable and she was thrilled with the idea that this community could be real.

The RV swerved violently and Daryl caught Kate from falling before they both hurried over to Abraham, who was in the driver's seat, to see what was happening. "a whole shit stream of walkers clogging up the road," the army man said.

"What about the car?"

Abraham looked at Kate and shook his head, "they didn't swerve in time." He pulled over the campervan when they had made it a safe enough distance from the highway of hell and everyone erupted into debate over what they should do next.

"Look," Carl shouted and all eyes turned to see a bright red flare trail through the sky. Abraham didn't need telling once before he jumped back in the driver's seat and navigated the roads to where the flare had fallen.

* * *

Kate and Daryl jumped out of the RV and immediately heard the cries for help. She pulled out her sword and her heart beat rocketed as she prepared herself to fight. There was a group of walkers in the street and they cast their hungry eyes towards them. She moved forward to kill the first one and noticed Carol and Abraham joining the fight.

When the street was clear Daryl knelt down to look under the car that the dead had been gathering around. "Thank you," a pained voice called out, "my legs stuck under the wheel." Kate popped the trunk of the car to find the jack.

* * *

Daryl almost tried to take the tool off Kate but thought better of it. She hated to be overprotected. And for his own personal reasons he wanted to see her jacking that car. He stood in prime position to cast a lascivious long look down her top as she cranked the lever with vigour. Then he noticed Abraham getting a good long look too.

"Hey," he shouted to the other man and Abraham grinned completely unapologetic before raising his eyebrows and turning to get everyone out of the RV and into the nearby garage. Daryl supposed he couldn't fight every man that simply looked at her, to anyone's standards she was a beautiful woman. Still, he clenched his fist in frustration.

* * *

Kate and Daryl helped the injured man to a sofa in the garage. "My names Eric," he smiled warmly and they moved out of the way to let Maggie look at his injured foot.

"What should we do now?" Kate asked.

"We saw the flare, I figure that Rick will have seen it too," Abraham interrupted and everyone agreed deciding to sit tight until the rest of the group caught up with them.

"I'll keep watch outside," Daryl said as he took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up in the sexy bad boy way that somehow managed to make such a disgusting habit look cool.

She followed him outside into the cool night air and closed the door behind them. He ran his fingers through his hair and watched her intently. His gaze excited her and she moved closer to him and plucked the cigarette out of his fingers and cast it on the ground. She wrapped her arms around his neck, licked her lips and kissed him before she had a chance to talk herself out of it.

The sounds of whistling caught their attention and Daryl put his forehead to hers and uttered "Rick," before whistling back and summoning the missing team members to their location.

They all went back into the garage and everyone was elated. But what struck Kate was the reunion between Eric and Aaron. The way they looked at each other with such open affection was breath-taking and she felt like a voyeur as she watched their romantic gazes and kisses.

Aaron insisted on spending the night by his injured lover despite Rick telling him "no" and Kate found herself looking to Daryl. She could have that kind of devotion if she took it. Maybe she already did. He was one of the most loyal and trustworthy men she had ever met.

Kate's feet guided her to her favourite redneck and she lent her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. She listened to his heart beating and remembered the first time she had done this in her tiny cell at the prison. It was as soothing now as it was then. If Alexandria was everything they hoped it would be maybe she could rest her head on his chest like this every night for the rest of her life and he could make her forget that anything bad had ever happened.

* * *

I wanted to say another big thank you to all the new people who have started reading and everyone who has favourited, followed and reviewed my story. Definately seen a spike in hits since the show has started back up again. Please review, I love hearing feedback :)


	26. Chapter 26

Alexandria was real. Kate stepped from the RV with Daryl on her tail and took in the beautiful sight of its tall, hard walls. She caught his eye and smiled before taking his hand in hers. "This could be it, a real home."

"We'll see," he was right to be cautious but she couldn't help but dream that by tonight she would have a shower, a mattress and a hot meal as promised by Aaron.

The clatter of some nearby bins made her jump and Daryl was quick as lightening pulling his hand from hers and shooting an unsuspecting possum.

The big heavy gates of the town opened and everyone shuffled inside with a mixture of caution and curiosity. _Bloody hell_ , she screamed inside her head. It was a perfect little town. Clean and untouched. Kate didn't think anything like this could exist anymore.

"We're going to need you to hand your weapons in, we don't carry them within the walls," Aaron told them as he gestured for everyone to follow him. They all stood in a small courtyard and Aaron introduced them to a woman called Olivia. She wheeled out a huge bin for them to put their guns and ammunition in.

It was Kate's turn and she shook her head, "I don't have a gun." She sure as hell wasn't going to hand over her sword. The group's leader Deanna arrived and Olivia pointed out Michonne's Katana and Daryl's crossbow along with Kate's own weapon to the older woman.

"We only take the firearms, they can keep everything else." Kate was relieved for herself and also for Daryl, it was hard to picture him without his crossbow. The weapon only added to his appeal and she loved the way he looked with it. Then she looked at the dead possum in his hand, she could maybe do without that.

Aaron led the group to two perfect houses stood side by side. "They're yours," he told them and everyone smiled. No more sleeping outside, she could almost feel the softness of a mattress under her body in anticipation. Aaron left them to explore their new home before telling them "Deanna will want to interview everyone, starting with Rick… if you'll follow me." The ex sheriff obliged, passing Judith to Kate and she clutched the baby tightly in surprise.

"Keep your eye on Carl," he told her and Daryl before he left. "Anything bad happens, get back to the barn and I'll find you there."

Rick still didn't trust these people and from the look on Daryl's face he didn't either. She questioned her own instincts. Maybe she was just so desperate for some home comforts that she was being blind. Kate cast a long look down the picturesque street at all the people going about their day and nothing seemed out of place, until she looked at Daryl and the group. Dirty faces and torn clothes, they were the ones out of place.

* * *

Daryl had never seen Kate holding little ass kicker before. She looked almost as awkward as he felt when he held her. He thought about Kate's little boy, sometimes he forgot that she had been a wife and mother once before. Something stirred inside him and then Kate disappeared into the house and it was gone.

He checked around the perimeter of their new home before joining everyone inside. Kate was sat at the kitchen table next to Zach with Judith on her knee. Everyone was silent and Daryl joined her at the table.

"I feel like we're waiting for the other shoe to drop," she whispered and everyone spent most of the day in the same way. Each of them waiting for their turn to be interviewed and wondering if they would pass the audition or if this whole place was _full of shit._

* * *

"We're gonna stay in the same house tonight," Rick said to Daryl and Carol as they sat on the front porch. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kate coming back from speaking with Deanna. There was a man besides her carrying a big box and they were deep in conversation. It annoyed him more than it probably should have.

The man walked her up the steps of the porch and greeted Daryl and the others awkwardly barely taking his eyes of Kate. "I'm Spencer, Deanna's son."

"I can manage from here," she tried to take the box out of his hands and he moved it away edging for her to invite him into the house.

"She said she can manage," Daryl grabbed the box and stepped closer to the man making him retreat back down the porch steps.

"Okay, see you tomorrow night," Spencer smiled at Kate before he left.

"Tomorrow night?" Daryl turned to the brunette. It was like a punch in the face, was she arranging some sort of date with this mummy's boy prince charming? He was ready to knock that man out.

* * *

Kate could sense Daryl's irritation at Spencer and saw a flash of something dangerous cross his face. "His mother invited me to join her and her family for dinner to discuss my new job," she gripped his arm.

"What does she want ya to do?"

"Teach… but she thinks her husband might like to talk to me about keeping records, writing a history of this town and everyone's deeds," she laughed at the irony of her writing history instead of reading it.

"What do you think of this place?" Rick said to her.

Kate crouched down by the box to have a quick look at the clothes and toiletries Deanna had given her. Then she looked at the three other people on the porch, "I feel like we're her dolls. She picks out our house, jobs and clothes like it's a game… she has no idea what's going on out there."

"We should keep up appearances… they don't know our strength, we can use that if we have to" Carol said.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked.

"Maybe put on a dress, play the part she has given you… stop walking around like Xena Warrior Princess" Carol pointed to her sword.

Kate was unsure about the idea of concealing who she was from this town. She didn't know why Carol thought it might be necessary to appear weak. In her opinion they should be focussing on showing these people how to be strong.

"We just need to get a feel for these people first," Rick concluded and Kate decided to let them do what they wanted to do. She picked up her box of clothes and wanted nothing more than a hot shower.

She headed straight upstairs and into a bedroom with its own ensuite. She dropped the box on the bed then stepped into the bathroom and took a moment to marvel at the shower before she kicked off her shoes, set aside her sword and peeled away all her layers of clothes. It felt strange to be completely naked. She felt vulnerable and locked the door before turning on the water. Kate had thought she would never have a hot shower again. She hopped in and felt like she was shedding her skin as all the dirt washed away. Then she shaved her legs and washed her hair three times. It was utter bliss.

Kate had to force herself from shower with the promise of a fluffy towel and clean clothes. She unpacked everything she had been given and folded it nicely on the bed. At the bottom of the box were two pairs of shoes, black ballet flats and to Kate's amusement a pair of navy blue wedges. These people really didn't have a clue if they thought this was appropriate attire, even behind the walls of Alexandria it would be foolish if you thought danger couldn't touch you.

She put on the brand new underwear and found herself doing a happy dance around the room as she enjoyed feeling clean. Then she wore black cigarette trousers and a navy and white striped top while looking longingly at the pyjamas that had been included in her package. But Rick wanted everyone to be vigilant and prepared to fight so she was wearing the most appropriate outfit she had been given. Apparently school teaches didn't wear jeans in Alexandria.

Kate grabbed her sword and walked back downstairs to join the group, "you scrubbed up real nice duchess… almost think you were a real honest to god lady," Abraham teased her. Since he was an army man she thought he would appreciate a one fingered salute as she strode past him. Ever since she'd insulted his moustache he'd taken special interest in winding her up and mocking her at every opportunity. He was such an arse but she had a soft spot for him.

* * *

Daryl sat by the window keeping watch and Kate took a seat next to him. She smelled all fresh and clean and sparkled like a shiny new penny. He looked at the dirt under his finger nails and didn't dare touch her.

A knock at the door was answered by Rick and in walked Deanna to wish them all goodnight. She reminded Daryl that he didn't yet have a job. She couldn't put her finger on a position for him and he suspected that it was probably because he didn't fit in. She pointed out that everyone in this room was from different backgrounds and had nothing in common yet had made a family together. He looked at Kate all clean and pretty she was about as opposite to himself as a person could get.

Kate belonged in this big house surrounded by picturesque streets and dinner parties with a congresswoman. She was from that world of fancy people with their money and educations. Talking about books and plays and going to look at art that looked like a three year old could have painted it.

He remembered what Joe had said to him "nothin' sadder than an outdoor cat thinkin' he's an indoor cat." This was what he meant. The prison had been different, a new society that they had created from the ground up. They were living off the land without any modern day conveniences. Here they were living in houses that Daryl would have never even seen let alone be allowed to step foot in one. And they had electricity and running water, it was like the end of the world never happened. Daryl felt like he was a stinking blotch on this perfect little town.

Kate touched his arm and smiled. He almost recoiled from her. What was he thinking? She was far too good for the likes of a Dixon. "What's wrong?" she said.

"Go get some sleep, I'm gonna keep watch," he told her but she leaned forward and gave him a small kiss.

"Lie with me, I don't think you need to keep watch here." He ran his dirty fingers through her soft hair. Maybe he wasn't good enough, but he could at least enjoy her before she realised the truth and told him to fuck off.

Kate had made herself a temporary bed using a thick duvet cover laid out in one corner of the living room. She sat down and gave him a coy smile. Rick walked past Daryl to switch off the lights but not before giving him a wink and saying "remember there's kids in here." He almost choked on air at the implication. This group was worse than a bunch of old ladies when it came to interfering and gossiping.

Daryl placed his cross bow on the floor besides Kate's sword and shed his leather vest before lying down next to Kate. Face to face and fully clothed shrouded in darkness. His eyes adjusted to the fraction of light given off from the moon and they watched each other in silence for a long time as they listened to the sounds of everyone else drift off to sleep.

"Daryl…" Kate whispered so quiet it was barely audible, "what did you do before all of this?"

"Nothin'… just like my daddy, just like Merle… just drifted. Did whatever Merle asked me to do… drink, drugs… bad shit."

"You never talk about Merle,"

"There ain't too many good things to say 'bout Merle but… he tried to save everyone from the governor… I didn't know he could do somethin' like that… guess he was tryin' to make up for all the bad shit and then he was gone." Kate swept the hair from his eyes and she had a sad smile.

"He loved you."

"There weren't much love in the Dixon house," he didn't know why but he found himself telling her all about his drunken father, his mother's death, everything. He supposed a part of him wanted her to be no doubt about exactly the kind of man he was.

* * *

"My parents… we had a strained relationship. My nana, I pretty much lived with her until I was 15 then she passed away. When I went to university, I couldn't go back home. I ended up living with Ryan… He wanted to take care of me and I let him."

"I don't think I ever truly loved Ryan… he was just the easy option… when I found out I was pregnant…. I wanted an abortion," she stayed silent waiting for his reaction but his eyes never faltered from her admission.

"Then I was told it was too late for that…" Kate sighed and felt a huge knot in her stomach. She felt like she was betraying Harry and Ryan. "I hated the baby growing inside me… I thought my life was over… in a way it was." A stray tear crept down her cheek.

"I loved Harry to pieces the moment I saw him… he was so tiny and perfect… but the life I had wanted, had worked for, it seemed to slip away." She felt wracked with guilt.

"When they died, it was like I was being punished… for being so ungrateful for everything I had…" Daryl wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks with his thumb and Kate took hold of his hand and intertwined her fingers with his.

"We all have parts of ourselves we're ashamed of," she finished.

"How old would Harry be now?"

"Nine… he'd be so big," she let out the small sob she had been trying to contain and Daryl pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair. He wasn't judging her, he was accepting her and she felt the knot of guilt in her stomach melt away.

"Daryl,"

* * *

"Yeah?"

"You smell worse than that dead possum,"

He chuckled and kissed her head "I'll get cleaned up in the mornin'."

They didn't speak any more words after that and she rolled over nestling her body perfectly against his and he held her tight. They had spoken in whispers for half of the night. There had been nothing sexual or passionate. Just two people revealing their darkest parts, laying out all their secrets. Daryl thought it was the most intimate night he had ever spent with a woman or another human being. He listened to her gentle snores and leaned his head on hers. He couldn't recall a time when he had ever felt this way about any other person in his entire life.


	27. Chapter 27

The next morning Kate woke up, held tight in Daryl's embrace exactly where she had drifted off to sleep. She enjoyed the peaceful feeling of having him wrapped around her. There was safety in his strong arms, she traced the ridges and dips of his muscles with one finger and realised they weren't the only hard part of him that she could feel this morning.

Kate's cheeks flushed, she knew he had no control over it but it was still arousing to feel him pressed on her behind. She felt her breath hitch and the familiar throb of anticipation sent shockwaves through her body. But even if she wanted to do something with Mr Dixon she was in the middle of a room filled with people. She was embarrassed enough about being caught spooning and gently removed her body away from his. Leaving a cold chill down her spine where he had kept her warm all night.

He rolled onto his back and reached around groggily before his breathing slowed and he drifted once more into deep sleep. Her eyes trailed over his solid frame and stopped at his crotch. She realised to her dismay that she hadn't got a great look at it that night under the stars. She swallowed hard as her lust addled thoughts threated to take over.

"Coffee?" Carol crouched next to Kate and made her jump.

Both women made their way to the kitchen and Kate sat at the counter while Carol passed her a mug. "You could have slept upstairs last night…"

"I know." Kate wasn't going to give any more away. She was well aware of the situation between herself and Mr Dixon. She didn't need Carol to point out the obvious. It was just difficult to give into him no matter how much she wanted to.

"I'm starting a junior league, you should join. I have my first meeting today," Carol said changing the subject.

"What's that? A baseball team? I'm terrible at sports…"

"No… its volunteer work,"

"Isn't everything we do voluntary?"

"This is about community… joining in… we should meet these women."

So now Kate found herself sat with Carol in the middle of Mrs Neudermyer's lounge "please call me Shelly." The woman smiled as she sat a tray of biscuits down on the coffee table before handing everyone glasses of lemonade. Half the women in the community had turned up to join Carol's junior league. But Kate suspected it was more to gossip than anything else.

This sort of thing was out of Kate's comfort zone even before the end of the world. The brunette felt like she was in the twilight zone as she listened to the ridiculous conversations these women were sharing and Carol was like some sort of shape shifting chameleon, joining in like she hadn't a care in the world outside of making casseroles and knitting baby booties. That was the topic of conversation everyone couldn't get enough of, baby Judith.

"It's been far too long since I've seen a baby… I've already dug out a sewing pattern to make her a pretty dress."

"Hopefully she won't be the only little one. Alexandria is growing. No doubt there will be the pitter patter of tiny feet before long…" said Shelly.

Kate felt two hands clamp her shoulder from behind and the smell of half a bottle of some sort of lavender based perfumed chocked her. "There are lots of nice single men here honey," the old lady whose name Kate couldn't remember told her with a dramatic wink before everyone started laughing and nodding their heads.

"I think having babies is the last thing anyone actually wants right now," Kate said as she sat her lemonade down on the table suddenly feeling a little sick.

The middle aged hens all stopped their clucking and looked at her like she'd just killed their favourite pet.

"Please… excuse me," Kate stood up and gave a wry smile to Carol. The woman was tougher than she ever thought if she could withstand any more of that. She practically ran from Mrs Neudermyer's house, crashing straight into Spencer who was standing outside the door.

"Where's the fire?" Spencer laughed as he gripped her shoulders. "I was actually looking for you. My Mum wants to know what the guest of honour would like for dinner tonight."

"I don't know." She realised she genuinely had no clue what to request. It had been so long since she had the luxury of choice; food was a luxury in general. "Anything but porridge I suppose."

"Porridge? It's hardly a dinner party staple."

"Maybe not here…" Kate had always hated porridge and now found herself eating it practically every day. But since adding stray dog to the menu she could hardly complain about anything else. She started to walk away but didn't know what she was supposed to be doing. She had her job yet no one had told her what that meant.

Spencer walked in step besides her and she gave him an odd look, "do you need something else?"

"No," he flashed a huge smile. "I heard you like to read, I can show you the library…"

The idea piqued her interest since she'd lost her old copy of Pride and Prejudice in the prison and ever since she had wanted nothing more than to read it again. Wanting things that she couldn't have was her speciality.

* * *

Daryl sat on the porch watching the little community of Alexandria with a keen eye. Kate had been gone this morning when he woke up and he hated the way that had made him feel. She was _worse than a fuckin' man_ for sneaking away and being non-committal. Now he realised what all the chicks Merle dated were always banging on about when they asked him to stay the night and 'take the next step'. That had almost always led to Daryl and his brother leaving town as quickly as possible. _Merle had a certain way with the ladies._

He finished his cigarette and thought about his promise to Miss Uppity. He said he would get cleaned up so that's what he was going to do. Carol came back to the house holding a stack of recipe books and looking like somebodies grandma. He looked her up and down and thought better of saying anything to her. "Where can I get some clothes?" he asked instead.

"You can ask Olivia, she runs the store rooms. Want me to wash your vest?" she gave him a shrewd smile, "or is Kate going to do that?"

"I'll wash my own vest," Miss Uppity would probably slice the damned vest in half if he asked her to wash it for him.

"You know all the women this morning were telling Kate to find a nice man and start making some babies…"

Daryl felt like he might have turned as red as a chilli pepper as he stood up and threw his cross bow over his shoulder before he stomped away from Carol. The thought of marriage and babies had snuck into his head yesterday and the day before, he really didn't want be thinking about it today. After what Kate had told him last night he supposed she wouldn't take too kindly to a surprise bun in her oven.

* * *

Olivia handed him a neat pile of clothes and Daryl set them down on the table to make sure there was nothing too weird or feminine included. He still wanted to hold onto some shred of himself even if Kate was inadvertently turning him into her own domesticated house cat. He nodded his head in approval of her selection. Then he glanced around the store, "do ya have any medical supplies?"

"What are you looking for?" she inched her glasses up her nose and leaned in towards him and he realised he had been whispering. Daryl cleared his throat and tried to keep some of his cool when he said "con uh doms," but his voice cracked and the word came out all wrong. "Condoms," he corrected himself keeping his eyes fixed on anything but the woman before him.

"We don't have any… teams don't try to find them anymore. Deanna says we shouldn't risk lives trying to stop new ones being created or something like that."

Daryl ran his fingers through his hair and growled in frustration. He knew that they were hard to find since he had always been on the lookout for them when he did supply runs back at the prison. He hadn't been finding them for himself at the time so he never really cared, but now he felt like he might cry like a baby. _Baby_ , that word again. That's exactly what he was trying to avoid.

"I may know where there is a box…" Olivia readjusted her glasses with a smile. "I'll barter for it… you're a hunter… if you can bring me a boar then they're yours."

"What do ya want a boar for?"

"I want to set up a smoke house and make a kick ass prosciutto."

He collected his new clothes and headed home to get a shower. Then he supposed he'd be hunting boar for the rest of the day, for the rest of his life if that's what it took.

* * *

When Kate left the library she found herself standing outside the Doctors surgery thinking about Daryl. She'd spent the entire time in the library thinking about him and concluded that she couldn't possibly resist him or her own needs anymore. She was already in too deep by now.

From the second they had shared their first kiss, maybe even before that he had snuck past her walls and made a home there. Whether she liked it or not, whether they kissed again or not, she was emotionally invested in the redneck and nothing was going to change that now.

If things were going to happen with her and Daryl she didn't need anything holding her back. She didn't want that stubborn voice in the back of her mind talking her out of doing the things she wanted to do. The things she _needed_ to do, she could barely think of anything else.

Kate stepped into Doctor Pete's office and spent an awkward 15 minutes discussing birth control or the lack there off. The situation irritated her enough but it was the way he had said it. There was something arrogant and distasteful about the man that pissed her off.

Then he had suggested asking Olivia in the pantry, apparently she had a way of "getting her fat fingers on contraband." That phrase had marked the doctor out as a complete arsehole in Kate's estimation.

"Thanks for nothing then," she told him and they observed each other for several moments before he smirked and held the door open for her to leave.

Kate thought about going to the pantry before she remembered her dinner with the Monroe's. The day was getting late and she needed to head back to the house and freshen up. _Nothing was ever bloody easy_.

The second she stepped through the door of the house Carol was by her side. "What are you going to wear?" she asked and Kate gestured to the clothes she was already wearing.

"It's dinner with a congress woman. You can't wear clothes you've slept in. You're going to be in the best position tonight to try and figure this place out so you need to blend in," Carol said and by now Rick had joined in too. She felt like some kind of spy being prepped by her handlers.

"What am I supposed to be figuring out?"

"We need to know if they can be trusted. We need to know their strengths and weaknesses," the Ex sheriff said. If she was honest with herself Carol and Rick looked a little unhinged. She wanted to placate them but at the same time she didn't want to feed into their obsession. _Bloody hell_ , she'd play the English spy tonight and after that hopefully they would realise they were wasting energy fighting these people.

Kate headed upstairs and found her box of clothes. She lay all the options on the bed before picking up a red shift dress. She clutched it in her hands for several minutes in silent contemplation before she stood in front of the mirror and held it over her body. She suddenly felt more like crawling into bed than playing dress up and going to a dinner party. Kate wondered where Daryl was. Maybe he could have defended her from the Kray twin's downs stairs.

She fell down on the bed and held the soft fabric to her face and remembered a time when she would have enjoyed the idea of a party or going out for dinner. It wasn't that long ago really. _What the hell,_ she decided. Playing dress up wasn't going to hurt anyone and she might actually enjoy herself. Spencer had mentioned wine and that certainly interested her.

So despite her reservations she spent the next hour pretending that she was just a normal woman going to a normal party. No walkers, no problems. The brunette had to admit she was enjoying running the curling wand through her hair. Then she slipped the dress over her head and stared at her shoe choices before going for the flats. Wedges were just a step too far no matter how much she was trying to blend in.

Kate stood in front of the full length mirror and took in the sight of herself. It was like seeing a ghost. Suddenly she felt incredibly self-conscious and tugged at the hem of her dress in an attempt to lengthen it. It was just above the knee and compared to some of the things she used to wear to work it was downright conservative. But in contrast to her usual outfit of jeans, sword and dirt she felt like a Christmas bauble. This just wasn't her anymore.

"You should wear the heels," Maggie slid into the room and sat on the bed and they both laughed. The whole situation was too surreal to be taken seriously. 'Heels or flats' was a debate that she had thought banished to the past along with the internet and mobile phones.

* * *

Daryl stepped into the house and threw his crossbow down on the couch before he fell next to it in disappointment. He'd spent hours out in the forest looking for a damned boar and come home with nothing. He was feeling so tired right now that he wondered if all his efforts were worth it. Maybe the bachelor life suited him better, he thought grumpily.

As if in answer to his problems Kate glided down the stairs and Daryl's jaw hit the floor, _holy shit_. She was all great legs and glossy hair. She looked like she could be the president's wife, not some rednecks old lady. A night with Kate was worth hunting for a thousand boars. He wanted nothing more than to carry her back up those stairs and explore every last inch of her.

Daryl swallowed down hard as he remembered that she was going to be having dinner with the Monroe's. In particular, Spencer Monroe. A wave of jealousy flooded his body and he pictured hitting the man in his smug face.

The sound of Abraham singing lady in red brought him back to reality and he watched Kate roll her eyes before reaching for a book and launching it at the singers head. "Hells bells duchess," he laughed as he ducked out of the way.

Then Kate was pulled into a private discussion with Rick and Carol before the latter took away her sword and Daryl could see the annoyance on the brunettes face from across the room. She took three strides to the front door and opened it before looking to him with a smile and gesturing for him to join her outside. He obliged although it was difficult to put one foot in front of the other as his mind raced with ideas.

"Why don't you come with me?"

"Ya scared? Thought you could take care of yourself?" he leaned on the porch railing and lit a cigarette trying to remain calm while he enjoyed every last inch of the view. He wondered if her panties were red too.

She took the cigarette from him and stubbed it on the ground and he grinned. She was _a damn bossy woman_.

"I just feel ridiculous, is this too much?"

"Ya wanna know what I think?" he pulled her close to him and ran his hands down the soft fabric of the dress and grabbed hold of her ass. "If you wore a plastic bag… you'd still be the prettiest damn thing I ever saw."

Kate blushed and bit her lip before wrapping her hands around his neck. "Why Mr Dixon, where have you been hiding this southern charm? You might make a girl weak at the knees," she played the southern belle and it had the desired effect.

"I'd catch ya," he picked her up ever so slightly off the ground. He could hardly believe she was real or the words that had just come out of his mouth.

"I know," she whispered before kissing him slow and hard. Then she rubbed her nose on his "you're all cleaned up."

 _Fucking hell_ , all Daryl could think about was hunting boars and he answered her with an affirmative grunt.

"I should probably get going," Kate's big brown eyes held his gaze and he dropped her back down to the ground before kissing her hand.

He wanted to tell her to stay but realised how ridiculously needy that was so instead he told her "see ya later."


	28. Chapter 28

Walking away from her favourite redneck was painful but she had to go to this stupid dinner. She wondered how much more she could take of the game of cat and mouse between her and Daryl before she cracked and gave in again, but she knew it was a decision she couldn't make lightly. _Bloody hell_ , she needed a glass of wine. This was far too much to think about.

Now Kate was sat at the Monroe's dining table wedged firmly between the congress woman's two sons thinking about being wedged beneath Mr Dixon. They were telling her all about their plans for the future. Deanna mentioned something about Kate setting up a school house and she smiled and nodded and sipped her wine all the time considering her love life.

"One day we'll have a mayor and proper voting," Spencer declared smugly. He was charismatic with his easy smile and she supposed he favoured himself for the position. If there was one thing that Kate had learned tonight it was that Deanna's sons were the slightly spoilt apples of her eye. They were the sort of people who had never had to work hard for anything, even in this world.

"I don't think a leader in this society could be accurately chosen by votes."

"Why not? It's the democratic way," he retorted.

She looked at Deanna and wondered if she should tread carefully but she wasn't there to pander to other people's ideals. The world had changed out there and whether they liked it or not it must change inside Alexandria too.

"Politics breeds corruption. A leader in this world must be chosen by his deeds. People follow them because they know how to survive not because they know how to campaign and curry favour." _So there_ , she thought childishly.

"What deeds do you think a leader should do?" Deanna asked.

Kate placed her knife and fork down on the table and took a sip of her wine to buy herself a few moments to think before things got out of hand. What were they going to do? Ask her to choose sides? Choose who she thought would lead? This could get ugly if she let her temper get the better of her. She was supposed to be simply observing these people.

"I don't know exactly. But Henry VIII was the last King of England to lead an army to the battlefield. After his reign the crown experienced a systematic strip down of all its powers until they had none, just pomp and ceremony. A leader shouldn't be afraid of the battlefield, it's where history is written and fates of nations are decided." She decided on a semi vague non answer, but really she was thinking about Daryl, Rick and Glenn.

"Here here," Reg smiled, "and you'll be the one writing it Ms Ashwood."

Spencer and Aiden didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm as their father and Kate took a long drink of her wine. She felt the liquid affect her as it made her legs tingle with relaxation and she realised that she had no idea how much she had drank but it was divine and she could allow herself at least some pleasure. Even if it wasn't the variety she craved.

* * *

"Spencer why don't you walk our guest home," Deanna said as Kate tried to stand straight and not make a complete fool out of herself. She was a sloppy drunk and she knew it, yet she never stopped herself when the opportunity arose.

"Gladly," Spencer offered her his arm and she looked at it with indecision. On one hand she didn't want to fall over and on the other hand she didn't want to give anyone the wrong impression. "I won't bite," he whispered as he leaned forward. She grit her teeth and took his arm before saying goodbye to Deanna and Reg.

"I maybe shouldn't have been refilling your wine," Spencer said as they walked from the house.

"I wondered why I never finished a glass," she pulled her arm from his now she was safely outside and held a nearby lamp post. "I can find my own way home."

"Why don't I make you a cup of coffee? Sober you up a bit first."

Kate knew what a cup of coffee implied. She may have been intoxicated but she wasn't stupid. "I've got coffee in my own house, goodnight Spencer," she walked as quickly as her legs could carry her.

"You're going the wrong way," Spencer called and she stopped and looked at all the dark houses. She really didn't know where she was and her head was all fuzzy. This town was bigger than she thought.

She felt spencer behind her and he held her arm and wrapped it around his own. "Come on… no funny business..." He held up his hand, "scouts honour."

* * *

Daryl sat on the porch of the house wondering what time Miss Uppity would be heading back. He should maybe have gone with her like she had asked but he'd never been to a dinner party in his life and he wasn't ready to start now. He didn't want Kate to think he was some kind of caveman in front of the Monroe's with all their fancy manners and book smarts.

Rick joined him on the porch, "you didn't go with her?"

"Shit… do ya think I should have?"

"I don't know… she's your woman… ain't she?" Daryl scoffed and shrugged his shoulders. If Kate was anything it was her own woman.

"You know we're taking bets about when you two are going to get it together…"

"Ain't ya'll got nothin' better to think about?"

"Nope…" Rick laughed and bounced Judith on his knee. "Women man… the hoops I had to jump through for Lori…"

This type of conversation made Daryl uncomfortable but at the same time it would be nice to have some advice. "She… Kate… I dunno, she's gonna drive me fuckin' crazy. One time weren't enough... Jesus Christ I want it all… but she… getting close to her ain't easy…" he ran his hands through his hair.

What was he trying to explain? Dixon's weren't very good at talking about their 'feelings'. What the hell was he going to do with Kate anyway? If he caught a boar he'd only be prolonging the inevitable. This was an all or nothing sort of situation.

He looked at Judith. There was a reason that she was the only baby they'd seen since the dead had started walking. _Shit_ , Daryl Dixon never put this much thought into anything. Maybe Kate was rubbing off on him? He knew what Merle would say, "fuck first worry later, baby brother."

He caught Rick's eye and the man was laughing at him. "Well this is real fuckin' helpful, thanks," Daryl rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry… looks like you're getting screwed in all the wrong ways… I remember that feeling well." Rick patted his shoulder with a grin and a wink before he took his daughter back into the house and out of the cold night air.

* * *

Kate refused to go into Spencer's apartment for coffee but he managed to convince her to sit on the steps outside with the promise of some aspirin. She heard the front door click shut as he came back outside and passed her a glass of water and tablets before he wrapped a coat around her shoulders. "See, that wasn't so bad," he grinned as he sat next to her.

Kate set the glass of water on the step next to her feet and Spencer reached behind them for two mugs of coffee he had brought down on a tray. "Thanks," she wrapped her hands around the mug and breathed in the steam.

"I actually found something for you," he handed Kate a well-worn book. _Pride and Prejudice_. "You couldn't find it in the library earlier so I asked around."

"That's very thoughtful, thank you." They sipped their coffees in relative silence as Kate tried to focus on keeping her head together and not giving in to the fuzzy drunkenness. She stared at the stars and Spencer pointed out the constellations they could see but she barely registered his words. When they finished their coffee he put the mugs on the tray and left them on the step while he escorted her the rest of the way home.

* * *

Daryl's ears pricked at the sound of approaching footsteps and he stood up from his seat on the porch. Kate came into view walking besides that Spencer arsehole and she was wearing his damn coat. She almost tripped up the steps and he could see her eyes were glazed over. She was a damn bad drunk. He caught her from falling and pulled her into his arms.

"I really shouldn't drink," she whispered before laying her head on his chest. Daryl shrugged the coat off her shoulders and threw it at Spencer with an angry glare. Then he picked Kate up bridal style and carried her into the house. She could have probably walked. She definitely could have walked but Daryl was feeling like a barbarian marking his claim.

"She okay?" Rick whispered trying not to wake the rest of the house.

"She's alright, might not feel to perky in the mornin' though," he held Kate tight and carried her up the stairs like he'd pictured doing hours ago.

He set her down in one of the bedrooms and she kicked off her shoes shakily before turning to face him and running her hands down his chest and licking her lips. "What now Mr Dixon?"

"Ya should get some sleep Miss Drunk Tank," he stuttered before swallowing hard trying not to let his balls do the thinking.

Kate stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Is that what you really think?" she breathed down his ear before nibbling it. She really was a damn bad drunk and her mouth felt so damn good. Daryl placed one hand on the small of her back while the other snuck its way under her dress to grab her arse and then trace the curve of her hip. His fingers brushed the lace of her panties as he explored. _Jesus Fucking Christ, why did she have to be drunk?_

Daryl growled and peeled her arms from around his neck, gripped her shoulders and held her away from him. This was a fucking torture. But there was something not quite right about doing _things_ with a drunken woman. Especially Kate, she meant more to him than the drunken fumbles of his old life.

She pushed against his arms without success before she relented and took several steps away. Kate bit her lip as she trailed one seductive hand down her body and reached behind her back, unzipping her dress, never taking her eyes of his. He watched it float to the floor. Then stared at the pool of red around her feet and felt like he might have a heart attack.

His breath shuddered out of him as his eyes crept slowly up every inch of her body, silky smooth legs, tiny black panties, _not red_ , the curve of her hips, her waist, black lacy bra, soft round breasts, her collar bone, her neck, her hair. Every part he wanted to kiss, tease and run his hands over. She was biting her lip and every inch of her was waiting for him, she was a very very bad drunk.

Daryl cleared his throat and one hand fumbled for the door handle while his eyes memorized every curve, "goo… goodnight Kate." He fell out of the room, stumbled down the stairs and out of the house before he had a chance to change his mind. _Fucking hell_ , she was trying to kill him. He lit a cigarette to calm his frayed nerves and sat on the porch. _Holy fuck_ , he second guessed his choice and sucked down hard on his smoke before deciding to have a walk around the block, or _fucking ten._

* * *

Kate woke up woke up sprawled over a bed in her underwear recalling her wanton behaviour with shame. She ran a bath and soaked in it until it turned cold, then she pulled on some clothes and headed down stairs hoping that maybe Daryl was out and she could forgo facing him a while longer. She had no such luck.

"Good morning Miss Drunk Tank." Daryl sat at the kitchen table inspecting his cross bow with a grin.

"Last night… you were a gentleman and I was… a mess. I'm sorry if I offended you."

Daryl laughed and cleared his throat, "you didn't offend me… and I ain't no gentleman."

"You are to me," she bent down and kissed his cheek before filling the kettle.

"How did it go last night?" Carol said as she joined them in the kitchen.

Kate did a double take before she realised Carol was talking about her dinner with the Monroe's "it was fine, they're not bad people…" she spotted Zach outside heading somewhere with Abraham. "Where they going?" she gestured out the window.

"Deanna has put them on the construction team," Carol said.

Kate watched Zach limping and wondered what on earth Deanna was thinking. The boy couldn't possibly spend all day building and the construction team had to go outside the wall to dismantle their supplies from a local mall. Outside the wall meant walkers and she didn't save Zach's life so he could throw it away.

She grabbed her sword and began to fasten it around her waist as she made her way out of the house. She was already done with playing Suzy homemaker. Not having her sword last night had felt like missing a limb.

Kate caught up with Zach, "I don't think this is the right job for you."

"He'll manage, we always need more people on construction," the man called Tobin said.

"He won't manage, his leg is injured. He's not doing it… come on Zach, there's plenty more jobs for you to do."

"I'll be okay Kate… really," Zach said.

"This isn't up for debate. I can't trust these people to watch your back while you're out there."

"It ain't your decision… he's a grown man," Tobin said.

"I don't give a shit."

"Calm down mama bear," Abraham stood in front of her and pushed her back several paces before he laughed. "Why don't you go take all that pent up frustration to Mr Dixon… I can take care of Zach."

She flared red. She didn't know what annoyed her more, that Abraham was right or that she was making a fool out of herself having yet another public argument. She looked over to Zach and the poor boy looked as though he wanted the ground to swallow him. Then she noticed Spencer jog over and start speaking to Tobin before he turned to Zach.

Zach stormed past Kate, "I'm not a kid."

Spencer approached her grinning like a cheshire cat, "all sorted, Zach can work in the pantry if that suits you Ms Ashwood?"

Kate didn't answer him before turning to chase after Zach. She didn't mean to embarrass the boy and felt guilty for causing a scene.

* * *

"You sweet on the duchess?" The ex-army man caught his attention. "She's a spoken for lady."

"What?" _Surely this beefcake wasn't talking about himself?_

"Our local yokel might have a thing or two to say if you put the moves on his old lady."

Spencer sneered "the one with the crossbow?" That redneck didn't belong in Alexandria. If he had approached the gates on his own then no doubt they would have turned him away. Kate was beautiful and accomplished, she deserved far better. Spencer was far better, he straightened his shirt and decided to look for his mother and have a word with her about Daryl Dixon.

As it happens the stupid redneck was making it too easy for him. Some people had returned from a run outside and a fight had begun. Right in the middle of it was Daryl, holding Nicholas to the ground like a maniac right in front of his Mother. Spencer laughed darkly.

Then he heard his mother declare Rick and Michonne as Alexandria's new constables. _What the hell?_ Sometimes he questioned her rash decisions. He plastered on his million dollar smile as he walked to talk to her "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Yes. Give them a position of authority, then they won't question mine."

"What about that one," he pointed to Dixon. "I don't think he belongs here."

"Aaron said he wants him to help find more recruits."

"More people like him? He's a criminal… he's been harassing Kate."

"I didn't know that," the look of concern crossed his mother's face like he knew it would. She'd taken an immediate liking to the English woman and had insisted he got to know her better. His mother always had an intense obsession with her bachelor sons, only made worse by the end of the world.


	29. Chapter 29

Daryl wasn't sure what to think about Rick being made into a constable. Even though he knew he used to be a sheriff, he didn't see him that way. Daryl had spent his entire life on the outside of the law and he wasn't sure if he could live within it now. Especially with the rules laid down in Alexandria. Rules made by people who had no clue about the kind of world they were now living in. These people had almost got Glenn and Tara killed.

Then he thought about Kate. She belonged here so whether he liked it or not he'd have to find a way to fit in. And he'd have to find that damned boar. He threw his crossbow over his shoulder and started to head out of the gate. At least hunting would keep him out of trouble. Miss Uppity had disappeared this morning and he didn't want to spend the whole day waiting on the porch for her to come back. Well, he certainly didn't want to admit that to himself.

"I'm looking for Kate, you seen her?" Spencer asked.

"Why?"

"She left her book in my apartment last night, tell her to come over for another coffee if you see her," he smirked.

Was this arsehole for real? Daryl could smell the bullshit from a mile away. He laughed and squared up to Spencer "ya don't tell Kate what to do." Then he turned on his heel and walked away. Half the town was watching him after what had just happened with Nicholas so he didn't want to start a fight.

* * *

Spencer had hoped that he could have provoked the redneck enough to make him hit him and prove to everyone that he didn't belong in Alexandria. He walked back over to this mother. "I've asked him to leave Kate alone but I don't know if it's enough."

"I was planning on giving her a house to make into a school. We could do that today, then she can be away from him." Deanna replied.

"You're just going to let him get away with harassing her?"

"Spencer, it isn't that easy to exile people. He's a valued member of their group. When she's in her own house hopefully the issue will resolve itself."

* * *

Zach wasn't interested in hearing Kate's apology so she decided to give him a little time before she tried again. She knew he wasn't a child, but he was a teenage boy and sometimes they acted more sullen than three year olds.

She thought about what Abraham had said about her pent up frustration and felt irritated all over again. Maybe he was right, she was never usually so temperamental. Kate recalled Pete telling her to talk to Olivia so now she found herself in the pantry trying to act casual as she perused the stockpile of supplies.

She spotted a big box of tea bags and picked them up in disbelief. Alexandria had everything. "Take them," Olivia said. Kate was so excited she almost forgot what she wanted to ask the other woman.

"Thank you... I'm actually looking for contraception…"

"You know you're the third person that's asked me that," Olivia raised one eyebrow.

"There's nothing left?"

"There are condoms, I offered to barter for them… but if you can get me something first then they're yours."

"What do you need?"

The door to the pantry opened and in walked Spencer. Kate cleared her throat and shook her head when she caught Olivia's eye. She certainly couldn't continue this conversation now.

"I have a surprise for you," Spencer said as he held the door open waiting for her to join him. She took her tea, thanking Olivia again and followed him reluctantly. At least the trip to the pantry hadn't been entirely wasted.

Spencer led her to a house with a huge rose garden out front. He picked one of the flowers and passed it to her. "Welcome home…" he smiled.

Kate looked at the big picturesque house and felt confused. This was for her? Why? "I don't understand."

"What's to understand? This house is yours now. Do you like to garden?"

"I'm not very green fingered." Also known as 'I've killed every plant I ever owned'.

"That's a shame, I love to garden, I could help you…"

Kate clutched her box of tea. What was going on here? How could he talk about horticulture when the world was falling to pieces? "Let them die," she threw the rose in her hand back to the bush.

"That's a little dark."

"Is it? I've killed more than flowers… maybe I'm a little dark."

He caught her eye and laughed nervously before hopping up the steps onto the porch and swinging the front door open "then you're gonna love this."

Kate stepped inside the house and it was like a Cath Kidston showroom, everywhere floral and ditsy. It was quite possibly the most cheerful house a person could find themselves in considering the end of the world.

She went to the kitchen and placed her tea on the counter before she ran her hands over the wood, there were no marks or stains. This place had barely been lived in. Yet it was full of possessions that she knew had belonged to the original owner. But everything was so shiny and new that she could almost forget about that. She picked up the stove top kettle and filled it before putting on the hob.

While the water boiled Kate moved from room to room admiring all the light and space. When she went upstairs she counted 4 double bedrooms. This house was huge. A far cry from the tiny cottage she had squeezed into with Ryan and Harry. 'No room to swing a cat' had been the phrase she used to describe that house with the books and toys filling up every square inch of 'unavailable' space.

"And we're neighbours," Spencer walked to the bedroom window. "That's my house over there," he pointed to the building across the street. "So if you ever need a cup of sugar, or something stronger…"

"I'll take that into consideration," the sound of the kettle whistling caught their attention and they made their way back into the kitchen. Kate took the kettle off the hob and made a mug of tea. If she didn't let Daryl have a cup after he had brought her what seemed to be the last two teabags on earth, she sure as hell wasn't going to let Spencer have one, even if she did now have a box of 40. She cast a sideways glance to Spencer and decided he was quiet pampered enough and he was being too nice which made her uncomfortable.

"So this will be a school house as well as your home… until we expand and get an actual school that is… but the sitting room and dining room can be for classes… which still leaves plenty of space for you."

She mulled over his last point, plenty of space. This house was huge, enough space for the whole group. It was just yet another example of how the Alexandrians had never truly been touched by the outside world. But if Deanna wanted to give her this house for a school she was hardly going to turn the offer down.

Deanna had already explained to Kate that she wanted her to organise some adult learning and get everyone sharing their skills. As for the children of Alexandria, Reg would continue to teach science while Kate would give lessons in English, literature and History. "We need these children to be thinkers as well as survivors," Deanna had told her last night and Kate couldn't agree more.

The last thing society needed was to forget how to be civilised and fall into some sort of Dark Age. Then what could be darker than the dead walking the earth? She laughed internally. There didn't seem to be a right way to approach this world, it had to be something in between.

"What do you think?"

"This is a lovely house."

"Good, I thought we could get a start on sorting out the classrooms," Spencer leaned his hand on the doorway Kate was standing in and his breath tickled her face.

"Okay," she sipped her tea and took a step back. "I'll fetch Zach and he can give us a hand."

"What about his injury?"

"Well he'll at least like to see the house, might cheer him up to have his own room."

* * *

Kate convinced Zach to come over to her house and she gave him the tour while Spencer was busy clearing things from the living room. Now they were in the kitchen and she was wiping the film of dust off everything while Zach continued to sulk.

"Look I know I embarrassed you but… come on? You can't stay mad forever, why do you care what Tobin thinks?"

"I don't," Zach rolled his eyes, "why don't you sort out your own problems?"

"I don't have problems."

"Oh really? They why are you moving me into this house, and not Daryl?... and why's he here?" he nodded his head towards the living room where Spencer was.

Kate wiped the kitchen counter down and looked away. Zach was such a little shit sometimes. She couldn't ask Daryl to move in. Could she? "I don't know where Daryl is."

"If two people love each other they should be together... Then you could get off my back… you're not my sister and you're not my mum." Zach picked up his bag and limped out of the house. "I can take care of myself… I'll prove it."

That sounded vaguely familiar. But what did he mean love each other? Where the hell did he get that from? She scoffed and threw the cloth she was cleaning with into the sink. It missed and hit the window instead, leaving a watery smudge on her new perfect house. "Zach," she shouted and made to follow him.

"Let him go," Spencer sauntered into the room carrying a box filled with oddments. He set the box on the table and stroked his hands down Kate's arms, "he'll come around… we have plenty to do."

* * *

Spencer and Kate worked all afternoon clearing the new school rooms of anything superfluous and brought in extra chairs and tables as well as books, paper and pencils. She was regretting accepting her new role a little bit. All the organising it was going to take to get lessons going was a skillset she had long since used. It all seemed a little pointless and she wondered where Daryl was, what would his role be in Alexandria?

Kate sighed heavily and stretched her aching arms from moving all the furniture. Maybe Daryl could put everyone through his mountain man training. Or maybe just her. She was so lost in thought imaging her favourite redneck that she jumped when Spencer placed his hands on her shoulders and began to knead the aching joints.

She spun around, "don't do that… I think we're done for the day here. I should go and see if Zach has forgiven me now," she half smiled and retreated outside.

* * *

When Kate got back to the house there was no Daryl or Zach. She asked Carol if she had seen the teenager but he hadn't returned back to the house all afternoon. A small knot of panic gripped her stomach and she tried to tell herself she was being dramatic. Kate walked out of the house and looked left and right down the idyllic streets. It was probably nothing, there were a million places he could have gone to avoid her.

It occurred to her that she might embarrass him again by running around the town shouting his name yet she found herself jogging down the road asking anyone she came across if they had seen the boy. She spotted Olivia next and called her name, "you haven't seen Zach have you? He's…"

"I know who he is," she adjusted her glasses and smiled. "Are you still interested in bartering?"

"No…yes… what about Zach?"

"He checked out a weapon a couple of hours ago, said he wanted to go hunting…"

"He what?" she shouted. "You let him?"

Kate didn't wait for her answer before she started to run to the gate. What the hell was Zach thinking? He'd been out there for hours? She felt sick. This was all her fault.

Spencer was standing by the gate with Aiden when she reached it. "Zach's out there…" she panted from the dash across Alexandria.

"It's getting dark…" Spencer said.

Kate looked at the sky and wondered where the hell Daryl was. "Give me your gun," she said to Aiden and he refused.

"You shouldn't go out there like this," Spencer put his arm on her shoulder and tried to steer her away from the gate. She shrugged him off and gripped her sword in frustration.

"I want that fucking gun," she grabbed the assault rifle hard out of Aiden's hands.

"You're gonna let her get away with that?" Aiden shouted to his brother but Kate couldn't care less and opened the gate to let herself out.

* * *

"Why do you care so much about Zach?" Spencer called out as he joined her, armed with his brother's handgun. "I mean you didn't know him before all of this did you?"

"He's a good kid, we all need someone looking out for us… whether he likes it or not," she held the gun ready and scanned the trees for any signs before deciding to go straight ahead along the most obvious foot path. "Zach," she called in hushed tones every so often and held her breath as her ears strained to pick up any sounds.

"We should go back," Spencer said as he looked around the trees nervously.

"Go back if you want, but if you want to lead… then you have to lead. It isn't always easy… in fact it never is."

A twig snapped and Kate spun around to face a single walker clawing towards them. She threw the rifle on her back as she unsheathed her sword. She eased the blade through the walkers' right eye before swiftly extracting it and carrying on. Spencer grimaced and looked away.

* * *

She didn't know how far they had walked or how much time had passed but the woods were getting darker and she was unsure of what her plan should be. Then she heard it. "Kate," a pained voice called. Her heart stopped beating as she tried to distinguish which direction the sound had come from. "Kate," Zach called again and she started to run towards him.

She was running so fast she stumbled straight into the arms of a walker. The momentum sent her and the creature tumbling down a hill. She landed on top of the dead man and they butted heads. Adrenaline set her heart racing as she pulled her face away from its teeth. The walker clutched her arms and pulled her closer to its snapping mouth. Kate pushed her hands against its chest in an effort to force her body away and her fingers sank in to the sticky putrid flesh.

She pulled one hand from its chest and lodged it under the walkers jaw to push its head upwards. The wet popping sounds of tissue and sinew ripping encouraged her and she planted one foot between the walker's legs to give her the extra force needed to rip the dead man's head from his body. It came away with a satisfying squelch and she rolled it away like a macabre bowling ball. She moved off the walker to see Spencer meandering down the hill.

"Kate...over here," she heard Zach shout again and she turned her head to the sound.

"Shit," she gasped as she caught sight of the countless number of dead moving through the trees. They must have been drawn in by Zach's calls for help.

"Zach," she shouted as she scrambled to her feet. She heard him call her name again before she spotted the large hole in the ground.

Spencer stood over her shoulder as they peered in and found Zach at the bottom of it. "It's okay,"she told him before surveying the approaching dead. Kate took her assault rifle off her back and told Spencer, "You get him out and I'll hold them off."

"There's too many," he grabbed her arm and started to pull her back. "We've got to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving him," she shouted pulling herself from Spencer's grasp. She aimed her rifle and shot the three closest walkers.

"You have no choice," Spencer grabbed Kate hard, over powering her as he pulled her back up the hill. She could hear Zach screaming "don't leave me" and tried desperately to fight against Spencer.

"No," she shouted and brought her rifle around, hitting him in the face.

"I'm trying to help you," he shouted holding his busted nose and then grabbing her again.

"Get your fuckin' hands off er," the sound of Daryl's voice shocked them both and Spencer immediately let her go.

Kate was so relieved to see the redneck. "It's Zach…" she called as she ran back to where the boy was trapped shooting two more of the dead as she moved.

* * *

Daryl looked down at the boy and then at the ever increasing number of dead being drawn by the noise. He sighed heavily as he gripped his freshly killed boar. _What were the fuckin' chances?_

Kate's tear streaked eyes met his, waiting for him to do something. She had no damn idea what he was about to do. He reluctantly dropped the boar on the ground before disembowelling it. Then he threw it towards the crowd of walkers, sacrificing it as a distraction. They ate the creature up greedily and Daryl cursed the lot of them. Then he looked at Zach, the kid was going to owe him big time.

Kate picked off any dead that got close and Daryl told Spencer to "grow some fuckin' balls an' help me get the kid outta here."


	30. Chapter 30

When Zach was out of the hole Kate didn't know whether to hug him or hit him over his stupid head.

"I think I might have broken my ankle," he grimaced and Daryl supported his weight.

She took hold of Zach's other arm to help Daryl move him through the woods and away from danger. "How could you be so reckless?"

"Like you? What were you doin' comin' out here on yer own for?" Daryl said.

"I was with her," Spencer interjected.

"I rest my case," Daryl sneered.

"Kate doesn't need looking after…" Zach gave her a lopsided smile.

"Well maybe if you would have stayed in Alexandria…" Spencer pointed out to the teenager.

"Daryl goes out on his own and nobody bitches about that…" Zach said.

"I think we just proved why," Daryl continued.

Kate rolled her eyes and decided to ignore the lot of them. She wasn't interested in the testosterone fuelled slanging match that continued the rest of the way back. She was just grateful they were all making it back in one peace. She couldn't stop thinking about what would have happened if Daryl hadn't arrived.

* * *

They took Zach to the doctor's surgery and sat him on the bed while Spencer went to find Pete to have a look at the boy's leg.

Kate washed the walker blood off her hands before turning to Daryl, "when I saw you out there tonight… I knew that everything would be okay." She hugged him and smelled in his scent.

"You don't have to wait with me," Zach called to them and she reluctantly pulled away from Daryl's arms and sat on the chair next to the teenager's bed.

"I was out of line earlier, I shouldn't have argued with Tobin like that. But… I care about you. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone. It's not a competition," she held his hand.

"I know, I'm sorry Kate… but it wasn't my fault… falling in that hole," Zach passed her a piece of paper from his pocket.

She unfolded it and read the words, 'made you look'. "What is this?"

"I saw some sort of dream catcher and I went to look at it. I reached up to pull it from the tree and the ground caved in… I found that note at the bottom of the pit."

Kate looked at the note again and then at Daryl who had made his way to her side. She passed him the piece of paper, "it was a trap… why?" She thought about all the senseless things she had seen since the end of the world. The reason didn't matter so much she supposed. "Maybe you should go tell Rick."

* * *

Daryl walked past Pete and Spencer as he left to talk to Rick. He didn't particularly like leaving Kate with that mummy's boy arsehole but he didn't have much choice. He saw Olivia as he neared the house and clenched his hand over his crossbow in irritation. He'd been so fuckin' close with that boar. _What a fuckin' tragedy_.

Then he thought about Kate telling Zach that she 'cared about him'. She had said the words so easily to the boy and Daryl didn't like to admit it even to himself but it had made him jealous. He was sure the teenager probably didn't appreciate the significance and he couldn't help wonder if she would say something like that to him?

By the time he had spoken to Rick and returned to the doctor's surgery everyone was gone. Where the hell was Kate? He hadn't passed them on the street. Daryl felt confused as he stepped back outside and spotted Deanna. He cleared his throat and walked over to her "good evening ma'am, ya ain't seen Kate have ya?"

"She's in her new home…" Deanna gave him a stern expression. "If you're going to fit in around here you would do well to leave her alone from now on."

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean she's a nice young lady and I'm aware of the situation… she has a fresh start and you can have one too, go back to your own house," Deanna turned and walked away leaving Daryl rooted to the spot.

* * *

Spencer helped Kate haul Zach up in his new bedroom and she fussed over his sprained ankle plumping up a cushion under it to make him more comfortable before she handed him the book he requested and left him to get some rest.

"I should have listened to you when we were out there, I'm sorry…" Spencer said as they walked downstairs. "But it did take three of us to save him in the end..."

"It's over now," she shook her head. She was exhausted and arguing with Spencer wasn't going to accomplish anything. Hopefully next time he wouldn't be so quick to run away when people needed his help yet at the same time she wouldn't place any trust in him again. Not when lives were at stake.

"I'm tired Spencer…"

"Of course, I'll see you in the morning. Good night Kate."

She looked at her blood stained clothes and ran up the stairs to enjoy a shower, put on her brand new pyjamas and fall onto her lovely soft bed which should have delighted her but as Kate lay underneath the quilt she felt restless. There was something missing. She thought about Daryl and realised she hadn't told him about her new house.

* * *

Daryl sat on the porch of his house torturing himself over what Deanna had said. She'd reiterated everything that he always thought about his relationship with Kate. All the things he had changed his mind about over the past few days. But then the brunette had called him a gentleman this morning and she wouldn't have said something like that if she didn't mean it. What did he care what some stranger thought anyway?

 _Fuck Deanna_ he decided. But damn, he'd rather be doing that with Kate. He could have lost her this evening and here he was sat on his own outside instead of in her warm arms. Finding a boar seemed less and less important.

Maybe if he would have been in Alexandria rather than hunting he would have known where the hell Miss Uppity was and he could have been in bed with her right now instead of sat on this porch freezing his fucking balls off. He lit a cigarette and banged his head against the wall in frustration.

"Mr Dixon…"

He shook his hair off his face and stood up to see her properly. Silky pyjamas, wet hair and a winter coat, even like this she was so damn pretty.

"Would you care for a cup of tea?"

Daryl snorted out a laugh. He really had no idea what went on in this woman's head. "Ya came out like that to invite me for tea?"

"Sure… why not?"

He grabbed his crossbow and walked by her side wondering what she really wanted. Every single time he convinced himself that they should be together something made him question it.

* * *

Daryl sat at the breakfast table in her kitchen while she brewed the tea. "We need to find ourselves some dairy cows," she thought out loud as she realised that she had no milk or any alternatives.

"Any other requests? I'll do my damnedest to find them."

"Are you saying you'll make all my dreams come true?" Kate said playfully.

"Something like that," he grinned as she set the hot tea in front of him and took a seat across from his.

"The worst thing about moving away from England… is missing the food… Cadburys Dairy Milk, Frazzles, Yorkshire puddings, Chorley cakes… all the healthy stuff," she laughed sarcastically. Then she found herself staring into her cup wondering where she was going with this. He was here and she had no idea what she wanted to do. What she was going to do. She looked up from her tea and watched Daryl sipping his.

"How do you like my new house?"

"It's alright."

"I thought… you might like to… live here too," she looked towards the window, focussing on the smudge from earlier and heard the soft clink of his cup being placed on the table.

"Ya askin' me to move in with ya?" Daryl said surprised.

Kate felt her cheeks flush and his eyes on her, she slowly turned her head to see the faintest trace of a smirk on his lips. "I'm saying it's a big house… and there is room… and…"

"And?"

"You know I might change my mind Daryl Dixon," she stood up and rested her hands on the edge of the table.

"Why can't ya say it?"

"Say what?" her breath caught.

"Ya want me to live here because…"

"Because of what Mr Dixon?" Kate snatched up their cups and started to rinse them in the sink, suddenly not wanting to hear the answer to her question.

* * *

Daryl stood up and walked over to Kate, pressing his body against her back as she stood at the sink. He breathed in the sweet smell of her hair and ran his hands along the side of her body before he turned off the tap.

He recalled what she had said to him in the woods outside of the barn, "because of the way I make ya feel…" he could feel the sharp rise and fall of her chest as he held her close and swept the hair from her neck to kiss her exposed skin. She exhaled slowly and relaxed her body, leaning into him until they were a perfect fit.

Daryl sighed and thought about the way Kate made him feel. She had consumed his every thought and every action in a way that he had never thought possible. She had bewitched him. The slightest look or touch was all that he needed to set his heart racing. Despite her stubbornness and all the things that made him a little crazy, he was enthralled.

He turned her around to face him. He didn't want to rush this. There would be no interruptions here and he wanted her to give him something more, to commit to something. She was the master of evasion, but not tonight. "How do I make ya feel?"

Kate looked at him with those big brown eyes and bit her lip, giving nothing away.

"Ya never said…" he encouraged her and ran his fingers through her soft hair.

"Neither did you…" she whispered breathlessly.

His thumb traced the outline of her face before hooking underneath her chin, tilting her head for a soft kiss, nibbling that lip she liked to bite so much.

Then they observed each other with words unspoken. She was just as likely to run away as to return any sentiments Daryl dared say to her. He'd never said anything meaningful to a woman in his life. He didn't know if he even knew how without it sounding stupid.

He took a step back and looked along her body and let out a half laugh, "I'm a little scared of ya…" No matter what happened between them he still had the feeling that she would change her mind at any moment. Despite those soft brown eyes and her sweet smile he knew that underneath she was a wild woman with the power to rip his heart in two.

Kate laughed at him and rolled her eyes, "I can't believe you would be scared of anything Daryl Dixon."

"Killing the walkers is easy… you're a damn mystery to me," he walked closer to her again and stroked her head, "I ain't got no clue what goes on in 'ere."

"Sometimes… neither do I," she sighed and kissed his cheek. "Maybe you should do the thinking for the both of us… or the not thinking…" she breathed out the words with her lips tantalisingly close to his.

Daryl buried his hands in her hair and kissed her deeply. As his tongue entered her mouth he felt himself grow hard in anticipation. _Shit_ , he couldn't possibly wait any longer. He was only a man. He pushed his hips into hers as she leaned backwards against the kitchen counter and let out a low groan. Daryl already felt fit to burst apart at the seams.

One hand reached for her breast and felt the hardness of her nipple through the fabric. He squeezed it lightly and she groaned lightly into his mouth encouraging him to continue. He slipped her shirt over her head to find her breasts bare. _Holy shit_ , he cupped one in his hand and massaged it, rubbing his thumb over her nipple. Her head fell back from his mouth with a pleasurable sigh. He kissed the entirety of her neck before her eyes met his and she pushed him against the kitchen side sweeping one hand down his chest all the way down to his crotch while the other dug into his shoulder with fervour.

Kate rubbed her delicate hand over the outside of his jeans, almost bringing him to the brink as she kissed him. It had been so long since they had last been together and he had thought of little else since. His balls throbbed with excitement as his weeks of fantasies were finally coming true. She started to unfasten his belt, seductively watching him as she made every movement. He didn't know where to look. Her hand, her breasts or her face. His heart pounded as her hand slipped into his jeans and caressed his balls before stroking along his length.

 _Jesus fucking Christ_ , her soft hand felt so fucking good as she played with him and her sultry kisses were overwhelming. Daryl inhaled sharply trying not to let himself fall apart but it was already too late. The rush of excitement shot straight out of him and into her hand.

Daryl buried his face in her hair, "This is what you do to me woman…" he panted as Kate pulled her hand from his jeans. _Fuck_ , it had been a long time since a woman had touched him like that.

Daryl nuzzled Kate's neck before looking at her. She had a soft smile on her swollen lips and he wanted her to come undone like he had. He brushed the hair off her flushed cheeks and hooked her leg around his waist so he could position her for the things he wanted to do. She was like putty in his hands and he picked her up then lay her down on the breakfast table.

* * *

The cool table sent a chill down Kate's back and she gasped in surprise as the goosebumps pricked at her flesh. Daryl grinned and hooked his fingers in the waist band of Kate's pyjamas and pulled them down until they fell to the floor. He kissed her stomach and she inhaled sharply as the heat of his lips branded her. He ran his fingers along her body and sank to his knees, pulling the backs of her legs to position her body to meet his mouth. He teased and kissed along her inner thighs, the anticipation was driving her wild and she was throbbing for his touch.

He bestowed a single kiss on the place she craved him the most and her body bucked hard at the intense sensation. He pressed her hips down and she felt his hot breath setting her on fire, breathing her in. She bit back a moan, she was going to split into a thousand pieces and he had hardly started. His tongue took one languid lap and she melted into a puddle of sensation. He licked her again and again, creating a steady rhythm. Then she felt his fingers between her legs, opening her up and pushing inside. She gasped at the sensation as he stroked a come hither motion along the inside of her soft walls.

His tongue and his fingers worked in harmony and she felt the hot build of pleasure waiting to burst around her body. His fingers were calling to her, asking her to come. Her breaths became ragged and her toes curled as she lifted her hips pressing her body even closer to every sensation. "oh god," she cried out over and over as her body wound tighter and tighter until she could take no more and she shuddered and sank back into the table as her pleasure finally released.

Kate enjoyed the blissful feelings that were meandering around her body before she felt his mouth on her again. She jumped and dug her fingers in his hair to push him away but his tongue pressed down hard and her over sensitivity surrendered to desire. He lapped and flicked slow and steady and she found herself in desperate need of falling off the edge again. As her breathing became rapid he increased the tempo and she called his name as she came apart for the second time.

He kissed her again and she pushed his head with more force, "I can't possibly…"she whimpered. Daryl chuckled as he wiped his face on her inner thigh before he stood up. He was fully dressed and Kate was bare and spread across the table, yet she was too exhausted to care. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly.

* * *

Daryl was feeling pleased with himself as he watched Kate pass out with pleasure on the kitchen table. Satisfying someone else had never felt so good. His eyes roamed over her body, _holy shit_ she was perfect. He could hardly blame other men for wanting her, he'd kick their arse, but he could understand the reasons why.

Daryl flung his crossbow over his shoulder before he pulled Kate into his arms to carry her upstairs. He loved to carry her. She fit so perfectly in his arms. He poked his head around a couple of doors before he found the master bedroom and he laid Kate across the bed where she sighed and stretched dreamily. She was well and truly spent and he chuckled.

He shut the door and dropped his cross bow on the floor as well as everything but his underpants. Daryl could see Kate watching him through heavy eyes and he climbed into bed besides her and lay on his back pulling her into the crook of his arm. She nestled her head on his chest and he kissed it before stoking her hair and her back.

The steady rhythm of her breathing told him she was sleeping and kissed her head again. He knew what he had wanted to say to her downstairs. What he had chickened out of. But here in the dark with no one listening but himself he whispered "I love you," testing the words out loud. He couldn't recall a time when he had ever spoken them to another person in his entire life.


	31. Chapter 31

Kate opened her eyes to find Daryl's cobalt blue ones watching her. "I thought you'd never wake up woman," he smiled and stroked his hand along her arm.

She became increasingly aware of her complete nudity and tried to remain nonchalant although in the cold light of day she felt self-conscious. "You were staring?" she teased.

He laughed nervously and looked away before leaning in close to her face, "yeah… I was." Then he kissed her, slow and soft and Kate felt her body begin to stir and her previous worries about being naked melted away into opportunities.

The doorbell rang loudly and Kate and Daryl made a silent agreement to ignore it as his mouth found her breasts.

But the sound of the door opening and closing followed by the voice of Spencer calling "good morning" demanded their attention and Daryl pulled his mouth away from Kate's body with a look of surprise before he groaned.

"He's helping me set up a school," she offered and slinked out of bed.

Daryl leaned back on the headboard and she could feel his eyes watching her every move as she pulled on some clothes. Every time she glanced his way he gave her an appreciative smirk that made her blush.

When she was fully dressed she took the time to let her eyes roam over her favourite almost naked redneck. He was all man, every inch of him hard and strong. Her breathing fairly stopped as her eyes trailed along his physique and then she met his heavy gaze and bit her lip. _Bloody hell_ , he was as good as he looked.

Kate tore her eyes away from Daryl and made her way downstairs to face Spencer. He was standing in the kitchen eying up her pyjamas which were strewn across the floor from last night's activities. She cleared her throat to get his attention before picking up the items and hastily shoving them into a cupboard.

"I came to make you breakfast," Spencer set the box he was holding down on the kitchen side. "But I realise you may have company."

"You can't just let yourself into my house like that."

"I didn't think you would mind. And that is beside the point…" he slammed his hand on the counter. "I think your relationship with Daryl Dixon is a mistake."

Kate cast a wary eye up the stairs and moved closer to Spencer. "How dare you presume to question my decisions… you hardly know me."

"Maybe not, but it doesn't take a genius to see that you don't belong together. You're an intellect and he is a common criminal, common being the operative word. We are going to have society here and you can be at the top of it…or the bottom."

The clatter of something sliding to the floor caught their attention and Kate turned her head to see Daryl placing his crossbow to the floor with a look of fury in his eyes.

"You should leave," Kate urged Spencer.

"No, the man wants to talk, let him talk…" Daryl walked across the kitchen like an animal preparing to kill and Spencer sneered indignantly.

"I think he's said enough," Kate grabbed Daryl's arm and shot a look of 'get the hell out of here right now' to Spencer but neither seemed interested in peaceful resolution.

"I think we both know you're punching well above your weight here…" Spencer laughed.

Daryl grabbed Spencer by his shirt, "are ya tryin' to get your fuckin' ass kicked?"

"You should find another woman to be your trailer trash whore…" the words fell out of Spencer's mouth in an almost slow motion and there was a silent pause that seemed to expand for a lifetime. It was like being in the eye of the storm and everything was still. Until it wasn't.

Daryl's fist met with Spencer's face and knocked him to the ground before he opened the front door and unceremoniously threw him out into the garden. Kate watched it all unfurl in a trance.

They continued to brawl on the grass outside. Spencer managed to get one solid hit on Daryl's mouth but he was no match for the redneck who laid into him with the brutal force of a man who had obviously been in many fights.

"Stop," Kate began to shout. She wondered if Daryl might rip Spencer apart with his bare hands.

Rick, Deanna and Maggie all ran over and the new constable pulled his best friend off the congress woman's son. Daryl pulled himself out of Rick's hands and paced the garden angrily "you fuckin' say crap like that again and I'll fuckin' kill you."

Spencer sat on the grass scowling and silent. The street was now filled with spectators and Deanna urged everyone to go inside Kate's house so they could discuss what had just happened.

Kate felt completely humiliated and couldn't help but blame herself. Perhaps she should have said something to Spencer yesterday when he was being so friendly but hadn't wanted to come across as some self-absorbed lunatic that assumed every man wanted to jump into bed with her.

They all stood around Kate's living room and the tension was tangible. How had things gotten so out of hand? Then she started to wonder if Spencer had been purposefully baiting Daryl into a fight. He had accused him of being a criminal, maybe he wanted to prove it.

"That's it Daryl, you had your chance. I told you to leave Kate alone last night!" Deanna began to shout.

Rick started to interject and defend his friend but the congress woman waved her hand to silence him. "We can't have you threatening people and causing fights…"

"He hasn't been threatening anyone. Spencer is the one who started this…" Kate implored.

"You don't have to defend him dear. I know he's been harassing you."

"That's ridiculous. He's not harassing me..." she caught the confused look on Daryl's face and sensed that it probably matched her own "how absurd."

Deanna went silent and eyed the two fighters carefully, "then what is your relationship?" she asked Kate.

"What?" Kate panicked and looked at Daryl for an answer. "We're… friends?"

"Jesus Christ woman…" he wiped the streak of blood falling from his lip onto his sleeve and retrieved his crossbow before leaving the house, slamming the door with a loud bang.

"It seems there has been a misunderstanding," Deanna said to Rick. "You talk to Daryl and I'll talk to my son…" she glared at Spencer and everyone filed out of Kate's house leaving her alone.

She stood in the hallway feeling a range of emotions, primarily guilt. She'd hurt Daryl but she hardly knew what he had expected her to say. Lovers? That would have been uncomfortable to announce in public for the both of them, especially as they hadn't even admitted it to themselves.

"Nicely done," Zach shouted sarcastically from upstairs.

"What are you doing out of bed?"

"Listening to you…" he cleared his throat, "I'm not deaf…"

 _Bloody hell_ , she'd completely forgotten Zach was in the house last night when she and Daryl had been _, spending time together._ She flushed bright red and was glad the teenager couldn't manage his way downstairs so she wouldn't have to look him in the eye. That comforting idea was short lived as she realised she would have to at least take him something to eat and drink before she avoided him.

She filled up a jug full of water and made him a bowl of porridge as was the extent of her culinary prowess. Then she grabbed him another book from the living room and managed everything up the stairs. "I've brought you some breakfast… do you need anything else? I think I might head out for a while."

"I'm not sure my ears can take another night in this house," Zach laughed as he spooned the porridge into his mouth.

She was mortified and didn't know where to look so she left him to his breakfast without saying another word. Then she grabbed her sword and headed out.

* * *

Daryl walked through the trees with no particular destination in mind and couldn't stop thinking about the brunette. Kate calling him her 'friend' after last night, and everything else between them, hit him harder than Spencer had. He knew he should have said something to her when he had the chance. He was actually in fucking love with her and she was made of fucking ice. Just when he thought she'd dropped down her walls they went straight back up.

 _It was_ _such a man's line_ he thought, feeling completely exasperated _._ For the first time in his life he actually wished for one of those needy clingy women that he and Merle had always laughed at and tried to avoid because if Kate was the alternative he was going to _lose his fucking mind._

He'd had so much fun with her last night but she couldn't give anything away. She always held back and he wondered if he was partly to blame. Maybe if he told her what his feelings were then she would be encouraged to express her own.

He stood still for a moment contemplating telling her those three little words. No matter how she responded to them he would at least have some sort of an answer but at the same time he wasn't sure if he could take her rejection.

He heard the sound of footsteps approaching him and turned to face the stalker with his crossbow at the ready. Aaron crept out from behind some bushes and Daryl agreed to let the other man trail him. Maybe talking with the other man would help push Kate out of his mind.

"Pay no heed to Spencer…" Aaron said and Daryl simply grunted. Everyone in Alexandria seemed to be in everyone's business. As for Spencer, he had already decided that the man was completely full of crap. As far as Daryl was concerned Spencer was lucky to still have the use of his _fucking faculties_ and would do well not to cross his path again.

Soon they found themselves tracking a horse called Buttons. Following the wild and stubborn horse that refused to be corralled only made him think once again of Miss Uppity. Every inch of her was permanently seared onto his subconscious, all trains of thought lead to her eventually whether he liked it or not.

* * *

Kate strolled around Alexandria with the intention of getting some fresh air but in truth she was hoping to run into Daryl. Although she suspected she would be more likely to find him out in the wilderness.

"I heard about the fight," Carol said as she walked besides her.

"I don't want to talk about that…"

"Well you can join me at my coffee morning… we're exchanging recipes," Carol smiled wickedly.

Kate decided she would at least be safe from any men or any fights if she went to the meeting and kept her mouth firmly closed. Plus Carol gave her what Kate had started to think of as 'the look'. It was Carol's wide eyed stare that would force anyone into submission and Kate had decided it was her subtle way of saying 'comply or die.'

The coffee morning was yet again in Shelly's house but besides Carol and herself there was only one other woman there. Thankfully Kate remembered that her name was Erin. Despite her initial thought of forgetting all about men it was all the women wanted to discuss and in particular the fight between Daryl and Spencer outside of Kate's new house. _Kill me now_ , she thought as she clutched her cup of coffee.

Shelly's partner in crime, Erin told Kate to "give us all the details…"

"It was a small disagreement it's all over with now."

"Who cares about the fight honey… I'm talking about the tall drink of water you ladies came here with… Rosemary saw you both going into your house late last night. A man like that walks into your house after bedtime I don't think it's for a slice a pie and some coffee…"

Kate's eye went wide in shock and she felt her jaw drop. These women were insane. And the idea of people 'spying' on her gave her the creeps.

"Come on it's a small town and we have no television… we need a little excitement…"

Kate looked at Carol who was trying to keep the huge grin off her face and she rolled her eyes. "He came over for a cup of tea actually and we discussed supply runs…"

"Was that before or after?" Carol chimed.

"If this is why you invited me over here Carol… well… it's not bloody cricket," she sipped her coffee and all the ladies laughed at her discomfort.

"Those arms though…" Shelly continued, "we should make sure nobody finds him any shirts with sleeves."

Even Kate could laugh at that now they weren't harassing her for intimate details. She wondered what Daryl would think of these women discussing his sex appeal and blushed for him. She suddenly felt like she should mark out Daryl as hers before all these desperate housewives started inviting him over for lemonade and asking him to "inspect their plumbing" as suggested by Erin causing everyone to laugh even more.

Then she began to wonder what Daryl would actually do if another woman offered herself to him and felt a stab of jealousy. If these ladies had any idea of what he had done to her last night they would surely be throwing themselves at his feet. Kate stared out the window wistfully and wondered what her favourite redneck was doing in this very moment. She hoped he wasn't still mad at her faux pas although she still wasn't sure what the alternative would have been.

When the coffee morning disbanded Kate found herself hovering outside of Deanna's house. She wanted to go in and talk to the woman on Daryl's behalf as well as for herself. The situation this morning had been a mess and she wanted to make sure that there would be no repercussions.

Kate sat with Deanna in her sitting room "I wanted to clear the air with you… in truth Daryl is more than a friend… I asked him to move into my house and I suppose we're in a sort of… relationship."

 _Bloody hell_ , this was difficult to say even to an impartial observer. How would she ever say anything to the man himself? She swiftly moved on from her awkward admission, "Spencer said some rather offensive things and Daryl reacted in a way that was perhaps… overzealous."

Deanna stopped her there, "I'm sure they're not the first two men in history to lose their heads over an attractive woman… but maybe you should have said something sooner."

Kate blushed, "well in truth I haven't even discussed this with Mr Dixon… discussing my feelings is hardly my strong suit…" she confessed to Deanna. "I just don't want Daryl getting into trouble for my mistakes. He's a good man… and Spencer said he didn't belong here but he was wrong…"

"Rick, Maggie and even Aaron said much of the same. The matter is resolved as far as I'm concerned." Deanna took Kate's hand and smiled warmly, "I'm hosting a party tonight, I hope to see you there. It's a small town and we certainly don't need any feuds," she laughed and Kate nodded with a smile feeling relieved. No matter her feelings on Spencer she genuinely liked Deanna even if the woman was naive when it came to the dead.

* * *

Daryl and Aaron eventually caught up with Buttons, and just in time as the horse had almost ended up dead. But Daryl had at least managed to coax this stubborn beast to his command before the lurking walkers got their hands on it.

"Good girl," he patted the horses head as he slipped the rope over her neck. She whinnied hesitantly and Daryl scratched behind her ear to placate her. "There ya are… ain't so bad to be taken care of," Buttons snorted almost in response and Daryl chuckled and nodded to Aaron who was standing to the side with a huge smile.

The two men started to lead their new horse back to Alexandria. Now if only he could coax Kate into letting him tie a knot around her he laughed under his breath.

* * *

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	32. Chapter 32

When Kate made it back to her house she ran up the stairs to check on Zach and found Eugene sitting in his room with him playing chess.

"Sorry I've been gone so long," she said realising she wasn't doing a great job at taking care of her invalid.

"It's alright… hey, do you think Eugene can move in with us?" asked Zach.

"I have noticed that you do have the room and if things go bad I would hedge my bets at protection in this house with your sword and Daryl's crossbow…" Eugene added.

"Well that would be quite a cosy situation wouldn't it…" Kate replied hesitantly and fiddled with her sword. She wasn't sure what Daryl would think if she moved another man into the house. She had already upset him once today and hadn't even spoken to him since. "Perhaps you should ask Mr Dixon?"

"So Daryl is the man of the house? He's making all the decisions…" laughed Zach.

Kate clutched the doorframe in annoyance. Zach knew how to get right under her skin. "You're a little gobshite sometimes…" she tried to frown but couldn't help but laugh. Men, boys, teenagers they were all nothing but trouble.

"So can he stay?"

"Fine… but if Daryl's pissed it's on you."

Kate left Eugene and Zach to their game while she went to get dressed for Deanna's party. She considered wearing the dress from the other night but decided against it and settled for black trousers and a blush pink chiffon blouse.

She stood in front of the mirror and began to fasten her sword around her waist before she caught sight of how ridiculous it looked with her outfit. She undid the belt and stared at the blade, surely she wouldn't need it tonight.

Then Kate wondered if Daryl would be at the party and if she should wear a dress. "Stop being so bloody vain," she told her own reflection and fastened the sword back on before trudging down the stairs.

* * *

Daryl and Aaron managed to bring Buttons back to Alexandria. Aaron had told the redneck that he had already prepared a home for the horse when he had spotted her for the first time but hadn't anticipated it being such a problem to capture the beast and had almost dismantled the stables more than once.

Now they placed Buttons in her new home and she seemed restless but Daryl supposed she would settle down eventually.

A man named Sturgess introduced himself, he was a gardener around Alexandria and he had brought some oats from the pantry for Buttons. Aaron was feeding her a handful while Daryl stroked down her coat and tried to calm her.

"Have you thought more about going to Deanna's party tonight?"

"After I smacked 'er kid around?"

"Spencer probably had it coming…" Aaron gave him a shrewd smile and Daryl scoffed. He couldn't believe that this man would be on his side. It wasn't usual that someone who he barely knew put their trust in him like that.

"I'll think 'bout it," he said and left Aaron to head back home, Kate's house, he wasn't entirely sure what it was.

Daryl stood in the garden and wondered if Miss Uppity would be inside and what he would say to her if she was. He was feeling a guilty for storming away from her this morning and anxious that he might have ruined things between them. He opened the front door carefully and crept in. The sound of voices in the kitchen caught his attention and when he made his way there he spotted Eugene and Zach.

"Hey man, Kate's gone to the party…" Zach said.

He grunted and tried to hide his displeasure. He didn't want her anywhere near Spencer. Whether that was possessive or not he didn't care but he had hatred for the man that he'd barely scratched the surface of when they had fought.

* * *

Zach and Eugene had decided to forego this evenings activities and as Kate stood in Deanna's house clutching her glass of water she wondered if perhaps she should have followed suit.

She exchanged pleasantries with Erin and Shelly but it wasn't long before they were teasing her with "where are you hiding that rugged man?" She slipped away from their line of questioning promptly and found herself asking much of the same question. She was feeling bad that Daryl hadn't shown up to the party, or back at the house.

She spotted Abraham and stood by him, he was looking perplexed as he drank his beer. She looked around the happy party and could understand why. Even after a couple of days here it still felt weird to let your guard down and relax. "You know I never apologised for what I said… I really do like your moustache."

A big smile crossed his face and he leaned in close. "I know the ladies love a man with a tash…" he stroked his facial hair with a wink.

"Of course…"

Then he replaced her water with a cup of beer and she accepted it despite her reservations. Kate took a sip before scrunching up her nose she never usually drank beer. Her eyes once again searched for Daryl but instead met with Tobin's frown reminding her of their altercation over Zach. She smiled warmly trying to silently apologise and he turned away in a huff.

"I seem to always say the wrong things… I'm doing a superior job of pissing people off…" she groaned and took a consolatory gulp of her beer.

"You ain't so bad Duchess…" Abraham laughed. Of course he wasn't privy to this morning's events.

Kate felt a presence inching up to her and turned to see Spencer smiling like butter wouldn't melt despite his black eye and cut lip. He asked her to join him for a 'talk' and she let out a frustrated sigh before remembering Deanna saying that this town was too small for 'feuds'. So she reluctantly agreed to follow Spencer to a quiet spot in the party to let him talk.

"This morning… I was only trying to look out for your best interests."

"By calling me a whore? Interesting choice of words…" playing nice was proving more difficult than she had envisioned.

"That's not exactly what I said. It's Daryl … he doesn't belong here…"

Kate interrupted him she didn't need to hear anymore, "Daryl saved my life. He saved Zach's life just yesterday when you were going to leave him for dead… how can you say he is a bad man? That he doesn't belong…"

"Because he doesn't! I helped build these walls to create a new life for us all. He could have come to this party to make amends… but your precious hero isn't here right now is he?"

"I think the better question is why the hell I'm here right now," she began to leave and Spencer grabbed her arm hard. She felt his heavy breaths on her face, he looked so angry and she found herself wanting to knock him right off his high horse. "You know what I think? You're a desperate little boy who is too scared of the dark to cut himself from his mummy's apron strings."

His nostrils flared and he looked over her shoulder at the people of the party, "you're a huge fucking bitch… you should think yourself lucky that I'm willing to overlook your indiscretions…" he whispered furiously.

Kate felt any remaining patience she had fade into nothing but pure rage as she threw her drink in Spencer's arrogant face. "Go fuck yourself Spencer… because I won't…" she retorted tartly and found herself in the middle of yet another undignified scene.

* * *

Daryl stood outside Deanna's house but couldn't bring himself to join the party. He leaned on a nearby tree and lit a cigarette while he watched through the window. This wasn't his sort of thing. It wasn't the fact that he had fought with Spencer that made him stay outside it was his sheer loathing of fancy social gatherings.

The front door opened and Kate barged out of the house in a flurry and stomped her way down the steps. He knew the wild expression on her face well enough by now and he wondered who she had been directing her rage at this time while at the same time thanking god that he wouldn't have to brave the party anymore.

He stubbed out his smoke and leaned further back into the cover of the tree and nearby bushes. He couldn't decide whether to say something to her or hide but her eyes met his and she did a double take before storming over.

"What do you want me to say?... That you're my boyfriend? I think we're past that stage by now… we're hardly hand holding in the park…"

Daryl ran his hands through his hair and tried not to laugh. She was so pissed off but damn she was pretty. He let her run her mouth before saying, "you're right."

He saw Kate's face change completely from wild to satisfied instantaneously. Those words were like catnip to this lunatic woman. And she was right, their relationship was hardly conventional. Despite the fact that she looked as though she was prepared to kill him rather than kiss him he was in love with her and wanted to make her happy.

Daryl looked her up and down and smirked forgetting everything Spencer had said about them not belonging together. He recalled the first time he saw her. _She was a damn pain in the ass even then._ But then nothing had ever come easy for Daryl, why should Kate be any different? Maybe he needed to up his game?

"Let me take ya out on a date…"

"What? A date?"

"Yeah… unless you're only interested in me for one thing… my mama warned me about girls like that…" he teased her.

"Shut up…" she rolled her eyes and relaxed her stance.

"Well… what do ya say? You gonna leave me hangin?"

A smirk crossed her lips and she made him wait for it before she flicked her hair over her shoulder and said with a smile "I might consider it."

"Ya know yer makin' me half crazy right?" he grabbed her waist and pulled her close.

"Only half?" she whispered. The sweet vanilla smell of her hair intoxicated him and she was right again, he was completely crazy when it came to her. Then he kissed her once before picking her up and twirling her in a circle like the crazy fool he was.

* * *

"What happened at the party?" Daryl asked as they began to walk home.

"Nothing important," she hooked her arm in his and recalled Shelly's joke about sleeveless shirts. The woman was right, he had arms to live and die in. Spencer could _bugger off._

As they passed Aarons house he hopped down from his porch and insisted that they join him and Eric for dinner. Her stomach growled eagerly and she was glad, maybe even a little shocked when Daryl accepted the invitation.

Inside the house Aaron pulled out a seat for Kate besides Eric and poured her a glass of wine. If there was one thing these Alexandrians seemed to have no shortage of it was alcohol and she could defiantly appreciate that.

Daryl sat opposite and she stared at him wondering what on earth kind of date he was going to take her on. When he had uttered the words she might have rolled over laughing if she hadn't been fuming from her argument with Spencer. _Who was this man?_ He'd surprised her and people didn't often do that. She'd met a thousand Spencer Monroe's but only one Daryl Dixon.

Aaron served everyone spaghetti, it smelled so tempting and in-between mouthfuls Eric told Kate about his travels to Europe. She had spent the summer after university inter-railing with Ryan and two of their friends and she swapped travel stories with him. It was a nice change of pace to the nonstop gossip she had enjoyed at this morning's junior league meeting.

"You've been a lot of places… I never left Georgia til' now," Daryl said and Kate realised that she and Eric had been talking nonstop for quite some time.

"I think Georgia is one of the most beautiful places I have seen, I'd have happily stayed there too," she replied.

Daryl smirked and continued to eat his spaghetti like a greedy chimpanzee which didn't go unnoticed by Kate or the other men. She held in her laugh as she twirled the strands around her fork carefully. She happened to love his deliciously rough edges and wanted to lick the pasta sauce off the side of his mouth. Yes, she would have been quiet happy to live in the middle of the Georgian wilderness with Daryl and his questionable table manners.

"So, Reg says that you're going to be keeping a historical account of our community," Aaron said bringing her back into the room instead of her fantasy.

"Yes, that's the plan," she managed.

"Daryl captured a horse today, I'd say that is noteworthy and worth celebrating," Aaron smiled brightly and refilled their glasses. "Do you like to ride?" he asked Kate.

"I never have."

Daryl gave her an odd look before sipping his wine and she hoped he wasn't thinking of teaching her to ride a horse. If she was honest she was a little afraid of horses and didn't want to have to admit it.

Eric talked about Daryl finding a pasta maker for Mrs Neudermyer and Kate decided that Shelly would positively love that. It would give her the perfect excuse to invite him over for dinner. The discussion inadvertently lead to Aaron revealing Daryl's assigned job as Alexandria's other recruiter. He was going to be Eric's replacement if he wanted the role.

Kate knew that this was probably the perfect role for him but she found herself worrying about the type of people he might come across on his travels. The living were far worse than the dead in this world.

"How come Daryl gets the cool job?" Kate teased as she tried to squash her worries. Daryl was free to do as he pleased and the alternative of some mundane job within these walls would probably drive him up the wall.

"I have something even cooler to show you," Aaron said with a grin and stole Daryl away to show him his surprise. Kate's interest was piqued but she left the two men to their fun and helped Eric and the wine to the living room.

Eric asked her to choose a CD and she looked over the options before pulling out "Snow Patrol.. I think I must have played this CD a thousand times…" chasing cars had been all over the radio that year yet she never got fed up of it.

"Put it on…."

"Maybe something a little more upbeat would be better," by upbeat she meant less romantic and picked up a Rolling Stones compilation. "You have a big collection."

"I love music. When Aaron and Daryl go out together we could make this a regular thing, keep each other company. It's going to be hard worrying about him while I stay here."

"Daryl will look after him," she sat on the sofa besides Eric.

He passed Kate her glass of wine, "you're quite the odd couple… but I love that. How on earth did you meet?"

"He shot a man in the head and saved my life before we even said hello… how could I possibly resist a man like that?" She sure had tried.

"I have this great recipe for apple pie… I think it made Aaron fall in love with me…"

"I don't know if I can impress Mr Dixon with my cooking skills… in fact he might change his mind…" she laughed. Conversation with Eric was easy and it would be nice to spend evenings here although she suspected he was the kind of man that could make you confess your darkest secrets over a glass of wine.

There was a furious knock at the door "you wouldn't mind?" Eric asked motioning to his foot.

"Not at all," Kate set her glass down and went to answer.


	33. Chapter 33

Kate opened the door to see a panicked looking man in a floppy hat, "I'm looking for Aaron or Daryl."

"They're in the garage," Eric shouted from the lounge and she held the door open to let the man inside.

"I'm Sturgess," he told her as he dashed through the kitchen and into the garage. Kate followed him curiously. She was interested to see what the two men had been up to as much as she was interested to hear what the man in the floppy hat had to say.

When she entered the garage her eyes swept over the hundreds of spare vehicle parts laid across the floor before resting on the motorcycle that Daryl and Aaron were both crouched besides. Daryl looked at her with his cool blue gaze and her heart stopped its steady rhythm. He didn't need a motorcycle to impress her but bloody hell yes, it set her racing. Aaron had called it a surprise for Daryl but this garage and everything in it felt more like a present for her.

Daryl's hands were covered in grease as he touched the bike like a man who knew exactly what he was doing. Kate wanted those expert hands on her, making her purr like a well-oiled engine. She felt like the garage had suddenly become ten degrees hotter as she pulled at the neck of her blouse to alleviate the steam that was sizzling just beneath the surface. How inappropriate would it be to spend some alone time with Mr Dixon in Eric's garage?

"It's Buttons… there's something wrong with her…" Sturgess announced interrupting Kate's lusty train of thought. Daryl jumped to his feet immediately and wiped those dirty hands with the stained old rag out of his back pocket. She imagined herself as that wisp of cotton running through his fingers and sighed.

Aaron opened the garage door letting the cool night air in and Kate breathed out her heat as she followed the three men to what she assumed was Alexandria's new horse. She found it sweet how concerned Daryl seemed as he talked to Sturgess about the animals symptoms. She didn't think he was much of an animal lover after seeing him gutting and killing so many little furry creatures.

* * *

They arrived at the garden paddock and the horse was pacing up and down restlessly before pawing at the ground.

"Maybe she hurt her foot? Has she been trying to escape?" Aaron asked Sturgess.

"I don't know I haven't been watching her the whole time," Sturgess said.

Daryl climbed the fence of the paddock and began to approach Buttons slowly. He put his hand on her back and could feel a slick of sweat. "She's hot," he shouted to the others. Her ears were twitching and she snorted as she continued to pace restlessly.

He backed away from Buttons he had some idea but couldn't be sure, "Sturgess, there's a lady from our group called Maggie, go bring er here."

"Why?" Aaron shouted.

"I think Button's is gonna be a mama…"

"You're sure?" Aaron asked.

Before Daryl could answer fluid burst out of Button's and the horse began to lie down in the corner of the garden. Now he was certain that she was in labour and from what he could recall it didn't take very long between losing the waters to the foal being born.

"Maggie's father was a vet," he told Aaron as he climbed over the fence.

"We should wash our hands…" Daryl told Kate as he pulled her to a nearby house.

"Our hands?!" Kate exclaimed. Her eyes were wide as he dragged her along but he didn't want to be the only one responsible for supervising this birth.

"I've seen a couple a horses' bein' born when I was a kid but I ain't no expert… you have… ya know…"

"If you're implying what I think you are let me remind you that I am not a bloody horse… I had two midwives to tell me what to do…"

Daryl bit back his laugh as he watched Miss Uppity wash her shaky hands. In everything that had happened, he didn't think he'd ever seen her so nervous. "I'm sure instinct will take over and we'll only have to watch…" he tried his best to reassure her. But couldn't understand why she was so anxious. He was excited to see the baby being born.

When they returned to Buttons, Sturgess still hadn't arrived with Maggie or any other help. Aaron hovered at the fence while Daryl and Kate knelt inside the paddock waiting and watching in silence. He gazed at the brunette and her brow was furrowed in concentration as she twirled her fingers around her sword restlessly.

Kate gasped and he turned his attention back to Buttons and could see signs of a foal beginning to appear. Daryl moved closer to the horse to make sure everything looked okay. There was no blood and the foal was coming out foot first like he remembered it should so he stepped back to let nature take its course. Kate slipped her hand into his and he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Together they watched with bated breath as Buttons brought her baby into the world. It was a beautiful sight to behold yet he couldn't take his eyes off Kate who glanced his way and whispered, "she made it look so easy."

"Maybe she's done it before…" their eyes locked momentarily before the sound of Sturgess' return caught their attention.

"I couldn't find her," he panted before noticing the foal. "Geez… that was quick…"

Daryl stood up and held out his hand to pull Kate to her feet. They climbed back over the fence to stand with Aaron and Sturgess, leaving Buttons and baby to bond. It wasn't everyday he saw a horse being born and Daryl's grin was matched only with Aarons. They had only brought the horse here this afternoon, and now they had two. They were like boys with a new toy.

"So what do ya think we should call our new baby?" he asked Kate before realising what he said and quickly recovering with, "I mean the horse?" _Shit_ , Daryl felt his cheeks turn a bright shade of red and was very glad for the cover of darkness. He couldn't believe he'd just said that to her no matter how innocent it had been. _What a way to freak the woman out_ , he shook his head.

Kate cleared her throat and was leaning on the fence so he couldn't see her reaction before she said, "he's chocolate brown and his mummy's called Buttons, so how about Cadbury?"

"You're the boss," he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and set his chin on her shoulder. They all waited patiently to watch Cadbury take his first steps and his first suckle of milk. Daryl enjoyed the feeling of holding Kate in front of other people with no awkwardness. He nuzzled his face in her neck and kissed her cheek, "when Buttons is ready, I can teach you to ride."

"Ride? I'm sure others would be better suited… tell me, where did you see horses being born?" Kate whispered.

"My Grandpa… he loved his horses," Daryl had loved them too when he was a boy. When his Grandpa had died his Father had sold them along with his Daddy's land to pay for his many vices. It had been a sore point in the Dixon family but then everything was.

The breeze picked up and he felt Kate's body shiver. He thought about finding her a leather jacket. She'd look hotter than hell on her own bike. But then there was a certain appeal about having her on the back of his. His mind started to wander uncontrollably and he realised he needed to start thinking of where and what he was going to do on their date.

He rubbed his hands down her arms to warm her up a little before saying "let's get ya home."

"You can stay if you want," she replied.

"I'll stay… you head home. I want to watch for a little longer…" Aaron told them and ushered them away.

* * *

Kate stood in her kitchen and filled a glass of water as she eyed Daryl carefully. Seeing that foal being born had been a stark reminder of the precarious position she was in. If there was ever a contraception, that was it. Except it wasn't the fact that it had repulsed her or made her frightened of having a baby, it was quite the opposite. It had made her womb ache and that had unnerved her more. What was it about seeing a baby that sent her hormones in a flurry? She had the urge to run upstairs and lock Daryl out of her bedroom in case she did something she may come to regret.

Kate pulled her pyjamas out of the cupboard and clutched her glass of water to her chest as she tried to act relaxed. "I'm off to Bedfordshire," she smiled and started to walk rather than run up the stairs. Internally Kate was having a panic attack. It was like the horse had been sent to mock and torture her. That little voice of doubt which she had been trying to ignore was now laughing at her.

 _We haven't even had our date yet_ , she told herself and threw her pyjamas on the bed before kicking off her shoes. She certainly didn't feel brave enough to start discussing potential babies with Daryl and wondered if these thoughts had even occurred to him.

Kate pulled the pictures of Harry out of her bedside drawer and found the one where he was a tiny newborn. She recalled the moment she had first seen him. It was like nothing else. So strange to recognise your baby's face when seeing it for the first time. She'd been on a high for weeks afterwards and remembered feeling like she might have been the only woman in the world to have ever given birth. It was the most extraordinary yet ordinary moment in her life.

Daryl's presence hovered in the doorway "you don't need my permission…" she managed through her unsteady breathing.

She felt the bed dip as he sat next to her, "we could find frames to put ya pictures in."

"No," she cleared her throat and was touched he had thought of that. "You're the only person that knows and I don't like to talk about it…"

"Would ya have told me, if I hadn't found the pictures?"

"Yes," she believed she would. Kate thought about what it meant to share this room with Daryl. To share her life with him. It was a huge risk. She'd be setting herself up for a fall that could destroy her.

She looked through the rest of the pictures carefully and felt her heart thudding painfully in her chest. "I didn't cope well… when Harry and Ryan died. It's what scares me."

"They were going to visit Ryan's mother that day, like they always did. You see... Ryan used to work away a lot and I… complained of course… I wanted to write my dissertation and there were never enough hours in the day. So when he was home he would take Harry to his mothers and I would stay at home and write. Eleanor and I never exactly saw eye to eye… typical mother in law stuff but Harry loved to go and see her. It was just a normal day, our normal routine… and just like that...everything changed… I said goodbye that morning and they never came back."

She closed the little book of photos and put them back in the drawer, "I set this huge fire in my garden… and I burned everything… My neighbour must have called 999 and when they turned up I… had a regrettable altercation… well… they didn't charge me with anything. My colleague, Lou, took me to his house… he'd recently lost his wife…"

"It's understandable."

"I punched a Priest at Harry's funeral… that's not understandable… I lost control. I don't like to lose control as you may know…"

* * *

 _Holy shit_ , if anyone was going to smack a man of the cloth it was Kate, it didn't surprise him. Under all her softness was steel and he'd seen her temper. "I'm in no doubt that you are a…. passionate woman… lord help those who piss ya off. Sometime it will be yours truly…" he scoffed lightly and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before letting his fingers brush against her cheek.

It occurred to him that if this one terrible thing had never happened to Kate then he would never have met her. Every terrible thing that had ever happened had led to them being here together, on this night, seeing that foal taking its first breaths. Fate, if he believed in such a thing, was a path you took in the dark whether you liked it or not. He felt like he'd spent his entire life waiting for her to storm in and drive him crazy.

Daryl took Kate's hands in his and looked into those big brown eyes, "I can't promise ya that nothin' bad will ever happen again. But if we only had tonight… I'd wanna spend it with you."

Kate bit her lip and stared down at their intertwined hands. She ran her thumbs lightly over his knuckles sending chills through his body. He sighed heavily before continuing "but I know you… I know that look ya got on your face right now… ya sure do like to dig ya heels in first…"

"Lucky for you Miss Uppity it looks like we've got ourselves a tomorrow…" she looked at him and he smiled. Daryl brought Kate's hand up to his mouth for a kiss and held his lips against her soft skin. He closed his eyes and breathed her in for what felt like forever before he looked at her again. "So that's why I'm gonna leave ya right now... spend the night with those horses and wait for ya to come around an let me take ya out on that date…"

Daryl placed his hands on either side of her face and pulled her to him for a kiss that was slow and firm and filled with longing. _Goddammit_ , he wanted to push her hard off that damned stubborn ledge of doubt that she was clinging to. He'd seen the uncertainty etched across her face the second they had returned home. She was more flighty than a damn swift. Lucky for her she was so pretty that he could forgive almost anything.

So he left her in bed and walked back towards the paddock. He wondered if Aaron would still be outside. The wind was biting. He groaned, maybe he should have stayed with Kate? She'd certainly responded to his kiss. No, he told himself, he'd take her on a date and win her over the good old fashioned way.

A woman's voice called to him and beckoned him over to her house. "I heard about the new arrival. I just love to ride…" the woman moved closer and sat on her porch railing. "I'm Erin by the way, you heading back over to the stables now?"

"Yes Ma'am," he tried his best to be polite.

"Well, it's awfully cold out tonight… why don't you come inside and I'll fix you something to keep you nice and warm," she smiled and walked into her house before he had a chance to protest.

Daryl hovered in the doorway of Erin's house and she called from the kitchen "don't leave the door open…"

He didn't move from the entryway and she chuckled as she walked from her kitchen with two glasses of whiskey. She thrust one glass into his hand before grasping his other, pulling him to the sitting room. Daryl sat awkwardly on the edge of her sofa as Erin unbuttoned her sweater, sliding it off her shoulders to reveal a silky camisole trimmed with lace. She sat next to him and placed her hand deliberately on his upper thigh.

Daryl stared at her hand and had a mini heart attack. _Jesus Christ_ , he began to realise that this woman definitely wasn't talking about a hot drink when she had offered to warm him up. He gulped his drink down and froze. At any other time he might have jumped at the chance. He had certain needs after all.

Kate had ruined him for other women and she had been driving him to distraction all evening. He'd watched Kate's ass in the trousers that clung to all the right places. Then there had been her shirt that was so damned sheer it left little to the imagination. Being near her had driven him wild. He'd been hoping to tear that shirt right off her, then run his hands and mouth all over her body before making love to her. That was until Buttons and Cadbury had interrupted their evening.

Now here was Erin handing herself to him on a plate. No complications. Opportunities like this didn't present themselves to him every day.


	34. Chapter 34

Daryl stood up from Erin's sofa and could hardly look her in the eye, "thanks for the drink."

"You don't want to stay?"

"I really gotta go," Erin might have been offering herself easily and Kate was a whole world of trouble but he wasn't about to trade his sexy little Aston Martin in for a Station Wagon. Miss Uppity hadn't made him that crazy just yet and he'd seen her crush a man's skull with a rock so he wasn't going to risk her wrath.

"Is it because of Kate? She said there was nothing going on between you both…"

"Well she don't like to brag," he replied sarcastically before leaving Erin's house. He walked to the stables and cringed at how awkward the situation had felt but he couldn't say it hadn't bolstered his ego.

As Daryl sat on the fence of the paddock he considered telling Kate about Erin's proposition. Maybe a healthy dose of jealousy would do her a world of good he chuckled. Although more than likely she'd give him a whopping for even mentioning it. He was in absolutely no doubt that whether Miss Uppity gave herself to him or not his ass belonged to her and he wanted to belong to her.

He spent an uncomfortable night outside the stables and by the time morning had broken the horses had acquired quite the cluster of observers who were cooing over the new foal and Daryl was feeling pleased with himself for bringing the horse into the community.

Rick brought Judith to have a look and asked Daryl if he would meet up with him and Carol later on for a private meeting. He agreed but at the same time he knew that they would want to talk about the plans to potentially overthrow this community.

Between all his woman troubles, the new horses, his new bike and new job Daryl was feeling stretched pretty thin and in all honesty didn't want to take part in a coup d'état. The idea of all his responsibilities gave him a strange feeling, a good feeling. He'd spent most of his life looking after himself and doing as he pleased. He glanced at Buttons and Cadbury and decided that he preferred it this way. He'd like it even better to take care of Kate.

"Well done," Deanna said as she stood alongside him after Rick had gone. Daryl looked down at Alexandria's tiny leader and nodded. With one last look at the little foal he decided to go and see about his other new baby.

* * *

Kate sat in her kitchen reading through Reg's notes with a cup of coffee and Zach came hobbling down the stairs with Eugene not too far behind.

"Where's Daryl?" the boy asked and she wondered if the redneck was bribing the teenager to be on his side.

Kate told them both about Buttons and Cadbury while making yet another round of porridge. As she stared into the pan of bubbling oats she considered paying more attention to the recipe ideas Shelly and Carol exchanged at the coffee mornings. But then as she served up the porridge and saw the thick layer of burn stuck to the bottom of the pan she reconsidered. Instead wondered if any of her housemates could cook, thus saving her the trouble of attempting and ruining any recipe she tried to learn.

"I was thinking I could help with your book…" Zach said. He passed her a sketch book and Kate flipped through the pages inspecting the pictures.

"These are really good. You never said anything about drawing before."

"It was always just a hobby but if I illustrate your history book I figure that I can be… immortalised," he grinned.

"I had an idea too…" Eugene began. "I have a vast collection of knowledge and expertise on a various degree of weird, useful and interesting things. I would like to share my know how as an educator at this school house."

"Okay? In what?"

"That I have not specifically decided yet."

Kate laughed and rolled her eyes but she was glad he was willing to help her out with the school since it was looking unlikely that she'd receive more help from Spencer. The thought of Spencer made her head hurt and she didn't want to have to face him again which was obviously difficult in this tiny community.

She spent the rest of the morning discussing the school, the book and the future of Alexandria with Zach and Eugene. She felt more hopeful than she had in a long time. She thought of what Daryl had said about them 'having a tomorrow' and he was right. In this place they could probably even have more than that. Alexandria was a settlement unlike any she had seen since the world ended.

Eventually Kate grew weary of reading Reg's scrawly handwriting and found herself staring out of the window. She couldn't stop thinking about Mr Dixon. Wondering where he was became a distraction impossible to ignore so she closed her book and stood up from the table with a stretch.

"I'm going to nip out for a little while, you boys keep up the good work," she smiled ruffling Zach's hair and then Eugene's since she was feeling particularly cheerful.

Kate began to walk to Aaron's house to see if Daryl was there and as she rounded the corner she spotted him standing in the street with his motorcycle. He noticed her and grinned before leaning on his bike with his arms folded across his chest like James Dean.

"You've already fixed it? I'm impressed Mr Dixon." Kate could just about manage a tyre change after one embarrassing incident when she first learned to drive.

"Ya wanna take it for a spin?"

"I couldn't possibly…" she backed away from the bike with a nervous laugh.

"I won't let ya fall," he reached out his hand and grasped hers before she slipped away. He held it tight and she relented, letting him sit her on the seat before he climbed on behind.

Daryl wrapped his arms around her and his body was pressed against hers. She could feel every muscle hard and unyielding leaning into her. What was he thinking letting her take control of his bike? She could barely see or think straight when he held her like this. "Maybe I shouldn't," Kate whispered.

"Why'd ya always fight against everythin'?" he leaned his chin on her shoulder.

"I don't know…" she turned her face to his and their noses brushed against each other. Daryl playfully nudged her nose again then he held her hand and guided it to the handle.

"Now what you wanna do is…" before he could finish his sentence the motorcycle pounced forward and her favourite redneck went flying off the back.

Kate shrieked in shock at the sudden movement of the bike before she turned to look at Daryl and burst out laughing harder than she had in a long time. Happy tears fell uncontrollably down her cheeks and she could barely breathe. She didn't suppose it was very often that Daryl Dixon got knocked on his firm arse.

"I didn't mean for ya to start it right now woman…" he shook his head in mock annoyance as he stood up but she could see the smirk on his lips. "Maybe I'll do the drivin' on our date," he breathed down her ear as he picked her off his bike.

She blushed and looked away from him. The nervous excitement of being wooed by Daryl set the butterflies in her tummy into overdrive. "Dinner and a movie?" she joked.

"I'm still workin' on it," he started to wheel his bike into the garage before telling her "I gotta go an meet with Rick." Then he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips, "I'll see ya later darlin'"

Kate didn't know where to look, had her ears deceived her? She covered her mouth to stifle the girlish giggle that escaped and he gave her a roguish grin before walking away.

* * *

Daryl met with Rick and Carol outside of Alexandria. Carol had managed to sneak some handguns out of the armoury but he didn't want to take one. He'd had enough trouble already with his fight with Spencer Monroe and he figured that the last thing he needed was to be found with a prohibited gun in his possession. Daryl could understand why Rick wanted one but as far as he was concerned he still had his crossbow.

When they got back to Alexandria Daryl was only interested in one thing and that was finding the supplies he would need for his date. The last damn thing he needed was for Alexandria to fall before he got the chance.

* * *

Kate helped Zach walk to the pantry to look for some food for their near empty cupboards. Olivia handed them a basket and said "fill it up but let me check what you're taking before you leave." So they looked through the mini supermarket and she let the boy choose out whatever he wanted.

"Smooth or crunchy?" he held the peanut butter choices out.

"Crunchy…" Kate heard the sound of more people coming in to the pantry. She peaked over the shelf to see Carol and Shelly before slinking back down and rolling her eyes. She had no idea how Carol spent so much time with the woman and the incessant prattle that came out of her mouth.

Zach passed her a jar of pickles and she found herself inadvertently overhearing the conversation Shelly and Carol were sharing with Olivia.

"Last night Betsy saw Daryl creeping out of Erin's house… maybe he's providing all the women of the community with a good servicing… and I just saw you Mrs Peletier… coming back from outside the fence with him…" Shelly laughed.

Kate's heart dropped to her stomach and for a moment she felt like she might burst into tears. But the sadness was fleeting as a wave of pure rage started to fill her veins with fire and the jar of pickles slid out of her hands smashing onto the floor. Her fingers found her sword and she turned on her heel towards the door.

"He wouldn't do that…" Zach touched her shoulder but Kate shook him off and walked around the side of the shelf to face the other women. Nobody spoke and she glared at Shelly before flinging the pantry door open and striding outside. If Daryl Dixon knew what was good for him then the only woman he would be servicing was her or he might find himself being hung, drawn and quartered.

"Kate…" Zach called her name and somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that she should calm down and act like a civilised human yet she found herself feeling more animal than woman.

If he was back from _whatever the hell he was doing with Carol_ then she assumed he would be at Aaron's house with his motorcycle. She lifted the door of the garage and sure enough there he was polishing his bike with a smile, "good afternoon ma'am."

"Don't fuck with me Daryl Dixon," Kate felt a heart breaking stab of pain in her chest and drew her sword. She pointed it at him and backed him up to the wall.

He held his hands up and looked more amused than scared which only annoyed her further, "Jesus Christ… what the hell has gotten into you now?"

"Tell me what happened with Erin… and you better pray that I like your answer Mr Dixon," she pointed the tip of her blade over his heart. If he'd hurt her she wanted to tear him apart.

Daryl threw down the rag he'd been cleaning with and used one finger to gently sweep her sword aside before grabbing her wrist. "Ya may know a lot of things Kate… but sometimes you're the dumbest woman I ever met…"

"Don't fucking call me dumb!"

Daryl picked up his vest and threw it over his shoulders, "well you're fucking dumb and crazy if ya think I could touch another woman…" He began to wheel his motorcycle onto the street and she realised he was right.

She'd let her temper get out of control and she was acting foolish. The idea that he might have been with someone else hurt her more than she could have imagined. Kate wanted him to be with her and only her. The feelings she had for Daryl were becoming far greater than her fears of being with him. Perhaps they were already far greater and she was only just realising it now.

He set his bike in the middle of the road and ran his fingers through his hair. The look of frustration on his face was obvious. Kate stepped out of the garage and saw Shelly and others hovering like buzzards waiting for something to die and she sighed in irritation. She couldn't do anything in Alexandria without a bloody audience.

Kate sheaved her sword in defeat and watched Daryl climb on the back of his motorcycle. He turned and shook the hair off his face, "it's now or never woman… are you comin' or what?"


	35. Chapter 35

Daryl sat on his bike waiting for Kate to make her decision. He could see the cogs turning behind those big brown eyes and as usual he had no idea what she was thinking. He looked at the people standing around watching them, then back to Miss Uppity. His gaze rested on the sword at her hip that she had just used to threaten him. God she made him crazy. He had the urge to fuck her so damn hard that she wouldn't be able to think or walk for a week. He'd have to settle for her at least getting her stubborn ass on the back of his bike. But that was up to her. _Come on Kate._

As if in answer to his thoughts she began to walk over to him and his heart skipped happily. She placed her hand on his shoulder and without a single word climbed onto the back of his bike. Daryl smiled in relief and Kate wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Let's run away together," she uttered before laying her head on his back and pressing her body completely against his like a second skin.

"Yes ma'am," her wish was his command and before long they were out of Alexandria, flying through the trees.

* * *

Kate pulled her ponytail out of its tie to allow her hair to flow wild and free as they chased the road. Her breath caught in her throat, the speed of the motorcycle was exhilarating. Daryl Dixon was so dangerous and exciting and never more so than on the back of his bike. She wanted to run away with him forever. She wanted to forget all consequences and enjoy every action.

They carved their path through the countryside for miles before taking a private road that steered them to a lake. By the water's edge there was a small wooden cabin like what you would expect to see on a postcard. Daryl stopped the motorcycle outside the front of it and Kate hopped off the back.

A walker was meandering around outside the white washing house and Kate pulled her sword sliding it through the walker's skull while Daryl sat casually by and watched. Then he picked the lock of the front door and held it open, "ladies first…"

He wasn't trying to protect her like he usually would and she didn't like it even though she had told him many times that she could take care of herself. _Poor Daryl_ , she mused, she really was a pain in the arse.

Kate walked into the lake house with her sword at the ready and he followed behind with his hunting knife. She went left and he went right and together they inspected the cabin for any signs of life.

It was only a single story house, the décor was warm and cosy. A thick fluffy rug beneath the open fire, millions of little knick knacks covered the row of book shelves and the photographs along the walls told the story of an elderly couple who seemed to have more than a dozen grand kids.

The kitchen and living room were open plan and along the little hall way were two doors. Daryl opened one and Kate held the door handle of the other. She held her breath as she turned the knob and let the door swing. There was no sound or indication of anything sinister so she stepped across the threshold and into the bedroom.

The big brass bed took up all the space in the room and she edged around it to poke her head in the closet then took a quick glance out of the window. When she turned around Daryl was standing in the doorway, "all clear?" she asked him.

"All clear," Daryl put his knife in his belt and picked up two fishing rods from a rack on the living room wall. "Ya ever been fishing city girl?"

"Never…"

He gathered the tackle box and passed Kate her own rod before he went back outside. She followed him and saw him inspecting a little motor boat that was tied to a jetty. He placed his fishing gear in there and she stood idly by watching him find the can of fuel, fill the motor, grab a blanket from the house and a bottle of water from his saddle bag.

"Ma'am," he called to her and held out his hand. She stared at the boat and then at Daryl and made her way over to him. She took his hand and he asked, "can ya swim?"

"Yes but I'd rather not…"

"Don't fall in then," he smirked and for a split second she thought he might push her in the lake rather than help her down. From the mischievous look on his face it was obvious that he had thought it too. Kate would have kicked his arse so hard if he had.

Daryl took his seat at the motor and pulled the cord several times bringing the engine to life. Then he untied the guy line and pushed them from the jetty. Kate had a fleeting moment of panic as they drifted from the shore and considered that the motor might leave them stranded in the middle of the lake. Then she looked at Daryl and realised that if there were any problems he would sort them out. He was a man who knew how to do things. All-encompassing manly things, she laughed.

* * *

Daryl dropped the anchor when they were in the middle of the lake. He picked up his fishing rod and prepared his line. Then he helped Kate prepare hers, which was nice, it always felt good when he was the expert and he loved the way she hung off his every word when he explained things. When he showed her how to cast the line into the lake the curve of her ass stroked teasingly across his crotch. _Holy fuck_ , every situation he found himself in with her was a constant battle to keep what was in his pants under control. He wondered if that feeling would ever go away while his eyes roamed her body and decided it probably wouldn't.

Their lines were set now and all they had to do was wait. Daryl scanned the tree line all around and there was nothing but the Lake House and wilderness. They were well and truly alone. This place was perfect, he could hardly believe they had found it.

He watched Kate holding her rod like it was made of glass. The nervous way her eyes glanced about the water like a fish might jump out and get her made him smile. Sometimes she was a soft as a pussycat and other times she was threatening to kill him. But no matter what, he loved her so badly it hurt and he found himself needing her to say it back.

"You were jealous?" he asked, testing her.

"I was protecting my interests…"

 _Protecting her interests_ , he laughed inside. She just couldn't admit to being jealous and he thought again of dunking her sweet ass in the lake. "Ya know I've never had two women fightin' over me…"

Kate turned her head slowly to look at him and raised one eyebrow, "It wouldn't have been much of a fight…"

Daryl wouldn't have minded seeing that fight, _no siree._ Then again he liked watching her, whatever it was she did.

The breeze across the lake was chilly and he picked up the blanket from the cabin. Kate was facing away from him as he sidled up to her and wrapped it around her shoulders before gently untucking her hair from underneath. His fingers grazed the warm skin on her neck and she trembled at his touch. He swept her hair to the side and moved his mouth within inches of her. He almost kissed her before hesitating and reconsidering. Instead he sat back down and the shy glance she cast his way told him he'd made the right choice. He wanted her to melt for him like a Popsicle on a hot summer's day.

Kate's line began to catch and she almost dropped her rod in panic.

"Stand up… reel him in," he laughed at her frightened expression. The woman had just sliced her blade through a walkers brain yet this made her flustered.

To her credit Kate did as he instructed but she was struggling and Daryl wondered if the fish might reel her into the water instead. He might have helped her, probably would have in usual circumstances, but she wanted to take care of herself so damn much he figured she could reel in a little fish. It was much too amusing to see her fight with that rod for him to move a muscle; he had a great view from where he was.

"He's goin' round the boat ya better move with him…" he smirked.

"Bloody hell…" she called as her footing faltering while she turned around in the little boat. "Maybe you should take this…"

"I thought you liked to do things yourself…" he mocked her and Kate's big doe eyes met his with that all too familiar wild look and she gripped her rod harder.

The fish started to break the surface of the water. Daryl grabbed the net and scooped it out of the lake while Kate sat back down and breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief.

"All that fuss for this little thing..." he laughed as he held the fish up to her.

"It's huge…"

 _A woman had to be careful what she said to a man_ he thought as a grin spread across his face, "bout' 3 or 4 pounds, not too bad for a first attempt."

"Fine praise coming from you…" Kate huffed haughtily and wrapped the blanket back around herself. _Goddamn_ , whenever she was uppity he wanted to give her a damn good seeing too. Which was pretty much all the time.

"I'd like to see you do better…" she challenged him with narrowed eyes.

Daryl looked across the lake and licked his lips, "ya wanna make a wager on that?"

"I'm not taking my clothes off for a fish," Kate scoffed.

"This is only our first date woman… I didn't say nothin' 'bout gettin' naked… that's all in your dirty mind…" he saw a rosy flush grace her cheeks like he'd hoped and smiled in satisfaction before lighting a cigarette.

"What exactly do you want to wager then Mr Dixon?"

Daryl's line began to catch and he held his cigarette between his teeth as he picked up the rod. He began reeling the fish in, nice and easy, managing to keep his cool and finish his cigarette like he hadn't a care in the world. "I was gonna say loser cooks," although he preferred Kate's idea. "Or I s'ppose the loser could jump in the lake… if ya wantin' to get naked."

She let out an incredulous laugh, "I'm not jumping in that lake…"

"Ya think ya gonna lose?" he smirked before pulling his fish out of the water. He sat down to compare the two. To his amusement and pure luck, it was no competition, "what ya wanna do… cook me dinner or jump in the lake? Ladies choice…"

* * *

Kate dipped her hand in the icy water and a chill ran down her spine but then the idea of being in charge of cooking was equally unappealing. She should have known better than to be lured into bets with the man. He had a self-satisfied grin and she wanted to fuck with him.

She held the edge of the blanket, savouring the cosiness before letting it slip off her shoulders. She turned to Daryl and her fingers found the top button of her blouse and opened it, then the next one. His Adams apple dropped as he swallowed down hard, his eyes never wavering from their intent stare at her fingers.

Her heart fluttered and she let her hands fall slowly from her shirt, "you're probably right Mr Dixon, it wouldn't be very lady like on our first date if I stripped down naked… right here in front of you…" Kate dipped her hand in the lake again and flicked some water at him. "The water is so cold… you might have had to take all your clothes off… and jumped right in after me… to heat me back up… then where would we be?"

Kate maintained his gaze as he sucked in a long laborious breath. Then Daryl knelt on one knee in front of her and her heart started to race. His hands skimmed her waist as he reached around her body to pick up the blanket and tenderly pull it back up her shoulders. His touches lingered on her body and her breathing slowed down as he leaned closer, his manly Daryl Dixon smell overwhelmed her and she felt light headed as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with maddening slowness. "Snug as a bug," he rasped before sitting back down.

He'd hardly touched her and she found herself smouldering with heat in all places. In hindsight maybe she should have jumped in the lake to cool herself off but it was too late for that now. Kate wanted Daryl to quench her and put out the blaze that he had ignited. But he ignored her and prepared his fishing line again. He cast the line across the lake with a boyish smile and Kate squeezed her thighs together in frustration, trying to think of anything but what lay beneath his clothes.

* * *

Daryl caught and released a few more fish for fun while telling Kate about the fishing trips of his youth. She didn't want to set her line again and was happy just to sit, listen and drive him to distraction with every little thing she did. He stole glances at her when she wasn't looking and even when she was looking, he loved the way her hair floated in the breeze and the pink glow on her cheeks. Most of all he loved the way she had looked at him when he hadn't kissed her.

"We should head on back to shore," he said as he pulled up the anchor.

Daryl tied the boat to the jetty and Kate passed him everything out of the bottom of it before he helped her climb out.

She carried the fishing rods and he carried everything else back into the lake house. He placed the fish on the kitchen counter and inspected the wood burning cooker. He noticed the orange glow of the sky outside and turned to Kate "It's gettin' dark, ya wanna stay here or head back?" He knew what he wanted.

"I'm happy here…" she gave a coy smile as she took a seat on the kitchen counter.

"Ya sure? Could be dangerous… There's only the two of us…" _Now's your chance if you want to run away_ was his actual thought.

"I'll protect you Mr Dixon," she grinned and flexed her arm. Although there wasn't much to flex. Daryl suspected that she wielded her sword with sheer determination and stubbornness rather than actual brute strength.

"I better get some wood for the fire then…" he rasped and picked up the axe he'd spotted by the fireplace earlier. That had gone better than he anticipated.

Daryl walked around the outside of the house and found the woodpile. He picked up a handful of logs and dropped them next to a nearby tree stump. He noticed Kate leaning against the side of the cabin as he split the first log. He ran his hands through his hair and chuckled at the way she was looking at him. The less he touched her the more she seemed to want him such as it was with this crazy woman.

He continued to chop under her heady gaze before telling her, "makes me feel real safe to know I have a fine lady such as yerself…" he turned to look at her with a cocky smirk before he finished with "watchin' my ass."

Kate bit the smile on her lips and looked away. Her fingers grazed the hilt of her sword, "It isn't easy… but somebody has got to do it," she said coolly.

Daryl raised his eyebrows and grabbed as much of the wood as he could before heading back into the lake house. He lit the oven and Kate filled up the kettle while he lit the fire in the living room.

* * *

"Would you care for a Spanish Coffee Mr Dixon?" Kate had found a bottle of rum in the kitchen along with the coffee and was feeling inspired.

"Whatever ya want… darlin'" she peeked her head over the kitchen counter that was blocking her view of Daryl as he crouched by the fire. Was he trying to make her swoon? She didn't know how much more her heart could take before she passed out from his pure unadulterated redneck charms.

Kate placed Daryl's mug on top of the fireplace since he was still lighting it. Then she headed back outside to enjoy the last rays of light and watch the sunset across the lake. A flock of birds flew overhead and Kate watched them weave their way through the darkening sky. Out here it was easy to forget the mess of the real world. This lake was untouched and serene. The sunset that was casting its kaleidoscope of colours through the clouds was just as exquisite as it had always been.

She stood on the jetty and set her coffee down while she kicked off her shoes and rolled up her trouser legs. Kate sat on the edge of the platform and gingerly dipped her feet into the water. The sensation of the icy water was almost painful but wiggling her toes in the lake made her feel carefree, like she was on holiday. The creak of wood caught her attention and she turned to see Daryl holding his mug of coffee and joining her.

"I'm warning you now Mr Dixon, you may come to regret winning our wager… but for the sake of full disclosure... I'm a terrible cook," she said playfully.

"I kinda knew… I still like ya…"

Kate's tummy fluttered and they shared a shy smile. Then he placed his coffee down, untied his boots to let his feet join hers in the water before wrapping his arm around her. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they watched the light creep slowly from the sky. This was their romantic post-apocalyptic first date mini break and there was nothing weird about it at all.


	36. Chapter 36

The sun had set and the sounds of nature orchestrated from the trees. Daryl kissed the top of Kate's head and she sat up from his shoulder, her eyes sparkling as a smile spread across her face. He'd looked at her countless times but she always took his breath away. He was so lucky to have such a beautiful woman sitting with him like this. He stroked his fingers through her hair and felt his heart swell.

"We should go make dinner," Kate said interrupting his train of thought and Daryl swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He grabbed his boots and stood up before holding his hand out to pull Kate to her feet. He kissed her delicate hand and held onto it tightly as they walked barefoot back to the lake house.

He closed the door of the cabin and he still couldn't believe his good fortune in not only finding this place but having Kate here with him. She was so different to any woman he'd ever met; she didn't make him feel awkward or weird. It was fun and easy to talk to her and he especially loved to tease her. There was nothing better than making her blush and bite that damn lip, when he could do that it got a fuzzy feeling in his stomach.

Daryl had found an oil filled lamp which he lit and set on the kitchen counter. Then he began to gut and fillet the fish while he watched Kate slide off her sword belt and untuck her shirt from her trousers. She seemed so relaxed and as she ran her hand through her long hair pushing it off her face he decided she looked sexy as hell. He liked her like this, buttoned down and tousled. This is how he imagined she might have looked after a normal days work, before the end of the world.

Her bare feet padded across the room where she crouched besides the bookshelf and began to examine all the objects with childlike curiosity. Every so often Kate would look at him with a small smile and his heart would miss a beat. He never knew that another person could actually make you feel like this.

As he fried the fish like a domestic god he laughed at himself for letting Kate get away with not cooking. The woman had him wrapped around her little finger already. "Ya still owe me for losin' the bet…" he called to her to try and reassert some sort of authority.

"Owe you what?" she smirked.

"Ain't decided," his eyes gave her a once over before he served dinner on some dishes he had found. In his search of the kitchen cupboard he'd also located a box of crackers that were only slightly stale so this was going to be quite the feast.

Daryl threw a cushion on the floor and stretched out on his side by the fire with his plate of food and Kate sat cross legged besides him with her plate tucked neatly in her lap. He watched entranced at the delicate way she held her fork.

"Mmm this is delicious… catching, killing, cooking… is there anything you can't do Mr Dixon or shall I call you superman?" Kate teased him affectionately and he felt himself flush red at her easy praise. "You'd be a far better teacher than me at our new school," she concluded.

"Nah… I like showin' you, yer easy to teach…"

They finished eating and Kate set her plate on top of Daryl's and he nudged them to the side. He had a sudden realisation that he had run out of plans for what they should do next and looked around the room desperately for inspiration but all his mind could think about was kissing her perfect lips and making love to her.

He sat up and threw the last remaining log on the fire before looking back at Kate. She was biting her lip and sitting perfectly still like she was a doll. But the dramatic pace of her breathing betrayed her serene exterior and he could see her big brown eyes watching his every move. Her hand reached for the plates and she scooped them up before hurrying to the kitchen.

* * *

Kate placed the plates on the counter. There was no running water to wash them with and no real reason for her to remain in the kitchen except for the fact that when she glanced at Daryl lay across the floor in front of the fire like some kind of sex god Casanova she had a panic attack. _Maybe I should suggest a nice long game of chess_ , she thought anxiously as she walked back into the living area.

To calm herself down she began to inspect the wall of photos which she had only given a cursory glance to when they had arrived. He joined her and offered her a glass of water, it hadn't escaped her notice that he had stowed the rum away which was probably for the best given her perchance for overindulgence. "Ya okay?" he asked.

Kate ran her fingers over his as she took the glass and she was far from okay. She was nearing a precipice and felt like there would be no way to go back once she had allowed herself to fall and she hated losing control no matter how much she wanted to.

She looked at the photos of Mr and Mrs no name on the wall. Mr no name had served in the army during what Kate surmised was world war two. He was wearing his dress uniform in the wedding photo and she had counted what looked like five children and 16 grandchildren. _What a bloody handful_ she determined but at the same time she saw two people that were madly in love and had led a full and happy life. "Do you ever stand in a place and wonder who's stood there before?"

"Like… trackin' people?"

Kate snorted, the last thing she could do was track people. "There was this tiny castle I used to visit with Harry… Peveril Castle. It was built just after the Norman conquest… 1066, a very important year in British history," she laughed and wondered why on earth she was giving him a history lesson. "Well… when you walk up the steps you can see a slight dip in the stone from where a thousand feet have fallen and we would stand in the keep and wonder… what were they thinking?" she gave a sidelong glance to her favourite redneck. "Probably the same things we are… some things never change." What she thought and felt when she was with him was as irrepressible as it was timeless.

"What are ya thinkin'?" he leaned against the back of the couch.

Daryl's direct question caught her off guard and she glanced around the room until her eyes rested once again on the photos of Mr and Mrs no name. "I…"

A noise from outside caught both of their attention and Daryl strode to the kitchen window before peering through the blinds. "Coupla geeks…" he gave her a lopsided smile before picking up her sword from its resting place against the wall. Daryl tested the weight of the blade in his hand and studied it before asking, "may I?"

"What's mine is yours Mr Dixon…"

Daryl gave her a once over that made her blush before he opened the door. Kate stood in the doorway and watched him take out what turned out to be three walkers. She'd be remiss to admit that he didn't look downright sexy as he wielded her blade like some sort of medieval knight. Then he turned to look at her in that intense way that made her feel as though she was naked. Daryl Dixon was so manly that he could make her feel every bit the fainting fair maiden which was a rare thing for Kate when she tried so hard to be strong.

"We should let the fire die down," he rasped as he poked the wood around the hearth. Then he turned down the oil lamp and Kate sat on the rug enjoying the last bit of heat from the flames, roving her eyes over every movement he made and feeling lightheaded.

* * *

Daryl sat next to Kate and put his hand on her thigh "we don't have to do anythin'…" He'd been waiting for someone like her his whole life, he was almost certain he could hold out a little longer. Although as his eyes surveyed her body for the hundredth time he wasn't sure exactly how much longer until he died of frustration.

"I know…" she placed her hand on his thigh and turned to face him, the light from the fire danced on her face and she glowed. He looked at her hand sitting on his thigh her fingers all but touching the part of him that was rushing with blood. He swallowed hard and she whispered "I can think of little else to do… little else I'd want to do…" Kate's eyes simmered wickedly as she gazed at him and his heart stopped beating.

She moved slowly towards him and climbed onto his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist. His breathing was ragged as she sat herself atop the strain in his jeans. Kate smiled with her big brown eyes as she bit her bottom lip then brushed his hair from his face and spoke softly as she asked, "what have you done to me Daryl Dixon?"

"Ain't done nothin' you ain't done to me darlin'…" he managed as he tried to think of anything but Kate's body pressing against his.

Daryl took the stray strand of hair falling across her face and tucked it behind her ear as he leant in for a soft kiss. The silence filled the room between the pop and crackle of the fire and he felt as though he could hear their hearts beating in tune. They could be the only two people left on this planet when they were together like this. Daryl's hands slid down the curve of her back and his eyes held her gaze as he whispered almost inaudibly, "you've made me fall in love with ya."

"What?" she let out a sharp breath and her big brown eyes widened.

He laughed nervously and started to wonder why the hell he had just said that when they were stuck together in the middle of nowhere? But what was done was done, "I said I love ya…"

"Daryl I…" Kate wrapped her arms around his neck and her eyes darted wildly from him and then to anything but him. _Shit_ , he started to get a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and closed his eyes not wanting to see her rejection. Before deciding he had to see it and looking at her.

"Spit it out woman," he almost begged, how long had it been? The wait for her answer felt like a million years although it must have only been seconds that had passed.

* * *

Kate's mind raced as she tried to process what he had just said. She honestly hadn't thought he would be the kind of man to say that sort of thing and she felt like she had been sucker punched. _Oh bloody hell, this was serious shit._

She peered over his shoulder at Mr and Mrs no name; they had a happy life despite a war. Then she looked back at Daryl. He made her happy, he made her feel alive and no matter what happened it was worth anything to be loved by him and to be with him even if it was only for tonight, or tomorrow or the rest of their lives. A realisation dawned on her and she ran her hand along his face. Her breathing was unsteady and she could barely form the words that had been foreign to her mouth for so long, "I love you too."

A smile threatened his lips but he gave her a stern expression as he held her shoulders in his hands, "ya sure?"

"Yes" she gasped breathlessly. "I love you Mr Dixon."

* * *

Daryl's heart missed several beats as he savoured her words and they held each other at arm's length, neither daring to move as the gravity of what they had just spoken fully soaked in. _Holy fucking shit_ , his palms were sweaty with nerves as he realised that all the red hot tension between them was going be released and she fucking loved him. _Shit, holy shit._ He was the luckiest redneck alive.

He ran his shaky hands down her arms and Kate gradually leaned into him placing her soft lips on his. The sweet vanilla smell of her hair swirled around his nose and he sighed as he breathed her in. The feel of her breast pressed against his chest made sure he was fully hard and he allowed himself to enjoy it rather than try to fight it. He ran his hands through her sweet smelling hair and held the back of her head to press her mouth on his even harder and more desperate. _Goddamn_ , Daryl needed Kate more than he needed air.

He couldn't keep his greedy hands off her as she sat in his lap with her legs still wrapped tightly around him, every dip and curve of her body enticed his touch. His mouth found the places where her skin was exposed and he savoured her. He felt Kate opening the buttons of his shirt and she nipped and sucked at his neck and chest as she undressed him. His hard length was begging for her attention and he thrust himself against her as he squeezed her sweet ass.

Daryl thought about the big brass bed in the other room but couldn't bear the thought of being in total darkness as he touched her beautiful body, he wanted to be able to see and enjoy every inch of her naked skin.

"Daryl," she called his name breathlessly as she sat up from kissing his chest. "If we do this… I could… become…" even in the low light he could see the flush that spread across her cheeks and before she could finish her sentence he picked her up and lay her in front of the fire.

He knew what she was going to say but instead of frightening him it only made him more aroused. He kneeled between Kate's thighs and excitedly tore open her flimsy shirt. Kate gasped and the tiny clatter of buttons hitting the floor made him grin. "I know," he rasped as he kissed her taut stomach. Despite what he knew could happen Daryl wanted nothing more than to make love to her. _Holy fuck_ he needed to be inside of her so bad but as he ran his hands over her waist he was mesmerized by the soft flatness of it and he found himself stuttering, "if ya don't wanna do this…"

Kate's chest was rising and falling quickly with frantic breaths as she sat up, she let her shirt fall away from her body before reaching around her back and unhooking her bra, the lace fell away and her eyes smouldered as she purred "I want this just as much as you do." Her words made him throb and he wanted to satisfy her, do whatever the hell the woman wanted, he would be her slave.

Daryl unfastened his belt slowly under her heavy gaze. _Don't rush this,_ he told himself as he appreciated the way her breasts looked through the cascade of her hair. _Jesus Christ,_ Kate was like a damn goddess _,_ she might change her mind by tomorrow, he needed to enjoy every second of her now.

* * *

Daryl kicked off his jeans and then his pants until he was on his knees completely naked for her. She sat up on her elbows and her breath hitched at the sight of him. _Wow, very nice Mr Dixon_. How could any woman not love a man such as this? She was powerless to resist his redneck charms.

Kate spread her legs to allow Daryl to edge closer to her. His fingers grazed her waistband as he popped open the button with seductive slowness that made her tremble. He pulled off her trousers along with her knickers and she whimpered with nervous excitement as they became wonderfully naked together. There was no stopping it now, she'd rather die than stop him filling up the hollow space that was tingling urgently.

Daryl ran his calloused hands along the outside of her thighs, then along the side of her body until his hands were either side of her head and his body hovered over hers. Kate lifted her head to kiss him, her tongue entered his mouth and her body throbbed for a touch that only he could give. He kissed her neck then her collar bone and finally her breasts. She groaned in delight and his length pressed hard against her thigh reminding her of what was to come. Her body was alive with sensation, every kiss and touch setting her heart racing to an impossible rhythm.

* * *

Daryl's hand lightly swept down her waist and Kate let out a sharp laugh at the sensation before he teased his way between her legs and beyond testing her wetness. She groaned as he paved the way for his length and he could hardly wait another moment as his fingers helped him remember how good she felt, so incredibly soft, tight and wet. So very fucking wet, he groaned in anticipation. Her body trembled and she bit back a moan as he teased her like he knew she liked.

He felt Kate's soft hand wrap around his hard end and he thrust into in several times but it felt too good and he wanted the real thing before he came apart. He withdrew his fingers from Kate's tight space and deliberately placed them in his mouth with a roguish grin as he tasted her sex. She bit her lip and he could see the rosy glow flush her cheeks. _Fuckin' hell woman_ , how could she be shy at a time like this?

Daryl ran his hands along her arms picking up her wrists before pinning them above her head. _Goddamn_ , he loved to overpower this bossy woman. He kissed her neck and whispered down her ear, "ya ready darlin'?"

He took her happy sigh as a yes and in one swift movement he was inside her from base to tip. The heat of Kate's body against his set his heart alight with an even deeper longing than just a physical act. He wanted to be with her like this for the rest of his life.

Daryl's body trembled and he entwined one of his hands in hers before pulling it to his lips and kissing her there lovingly. She was so beautiful and he'd been yearning to feel her body wrapped around his for so long. To feel himself buried deep inside her was a sweet sanctuary that he wanted to experience again and again and again. The way her walls gripped him was like a slice of heaven and he bit back the urge to release his pleasure too soon. _Slow down_ , he begged his eager body again.

Daryl's heart beat hard and fast as he ground against her kissing her collarbone and listening to her satisfied gasps. He slowed his pace as he found his climax at near breaking point and stroked his hand down her body grasping her ass and then along one silky soft leg. "I want to do this with you all night," he panted in her ear.

Kate thrust her hips to take more of him in "yes please Mr Dixon," she groaned before kissing him deeply as her nails scraped along his back with the thrilling feeling of pleasure and pain.

The way she said his name turned him on so fucking much and he sank into her hard and deep until neither of them could take any more. Kate's gasps became cries as she wrapped her legs tightly around him. She gripped his shoulder hard and he felt her body shudder as she called out something inaudible. Daryl's orgasm wasted no time in ripping through his body like a runaway train and he felt light headed as he collapsed onto Kate in complete rapture.

* * *

The feel of Daryl inside of her was like nothing else, he seemed to have filled every inch of empty space and hit the point deep within that had made her quiver uncontrollably. Her release had sent tingles along every nerve ending leaving her numb with pleasure.

Now as he lay on top of her, still inside, she felt herself fighting the sleepy feeling that intoxicated her limbs. Instead she wanted her favourite redneck to make good on his all night promise and teased him with "maybe one day we'll make it to a bed?"

Daryl sucked the nipple that was nearest to his face causing her to groan and her body became more alert as it prepared itself for round two. He stood up and scooped her into his strong arms, whispering "yes ma'am" as he carried her to the big brass bed.


	37. Chapter 37

Daryl's embrace was like a coat of armour protecting Kate from everything bad that lurked outside of the bed and their hidden cabin. She nestled her head in his arm and groaned at the desperate feeling in her bladder that she'd been trying to suppress but was now uncontrollable. As she swept one leg out of bed, he kissed her neck and pulled her even closer. She could feel him hard against her back and wondered where he got the energy after what he had managed last night.

"You're an animal Daryl Dixon…" she admonished him playfully.

"Whatcha expect when ya look like this?" Daryl cupped her breasts in his hands and gave them a light squeeze.

"I need to go to the… little girls room…" was there anything more unsexy than admitting that? Probably not.

Daryl groaned and slapped her arse playfully as she climbed out of bed, "why'd we have to waste time sleepin' eatin' an pissin'?" he grinned and stretched out like a starfish.

* * *

Daryl waited a few minutes literally twiddling his thumbs before deciding to follow Kate out of the room like her obedient dog. He didn't want to let her out of his sight in case she changed her mind about things and he just didn't want to let her out of his sight in general. He was a man obsessed.

Daryl found his jeans on the living room floor and threw them on before stepping outside of the cabin. He spotted Kate walking back from her toilet break wearing his shirt. His stomach jumped in excitement. _Damn_ , what was so hot about a woman in a nothing but a man's shirt? He'd never had a woman wear his dirty old shirts and he liked it, maybe a little too much. He hopped down the front step, "ya stealin' my shirt woman? I'm gonna need that…"

"You're going to take the clothes off my back?"

"Ya leavin' me wi' no choice."

Kate put her hand on her hip and struck a sexy little pose that made him even harder than he already was, "you're just jealous that it looks better on me than it does on you," she pouted.

"Reckon you'll look better outta it…"

Kate bit her lip while she seductively ran her hands down his shirt and then her thighs. "Come and get it then…" she challenged him as she took several steps backwards. Daryl slowly edged towards her and felt his heart thud in excitement. What was she playing at? He felt like a teenager again.

They both observed each other waiting to see who would move first. Her big brown eyes betrayed nothing and just as he was about to leap forward Kate bolted left fleeing around the outside of the lake house in shrieks of laughter.

Damn, she was fast and every step she took hitched his shirt and gave him a racy little glimpse of her pert ass. _Fuck_ , he could watch her running like that any day of the week. He almost didn't want to catch her. Probably couldn't under usual circumstances since the woman was in great shape, goddamn he was no kind of runner. Lucky for him her laughter was making her breathless and eventually slowed her down enabling him to outmanoeuvre her onto the jetty.

Kate stood at the end of the plank with her arms in the air. Her face was flushed and her hair completely wild. He drank in the sight of her and it occurred to him again that this woman was in love with him.

"Ya got yerself in quite the precarious position darlin'," he toyed with her as he took a step onto the end of the wooden boards, the squeak of the wood reminded him of last night's activities. This place would have been perfect if it didn't have such a damned squeaky bed. He thought they might attract walkers from miles around at the sound of it, that didn't stop him.

"I surrender…" she panted.

Daryl raised his eyebrows and licked his lips as he walked towards her. He picked her up bridal style before holding her over the edge of the jetty, "I don't take no prisoners," he rasped down her ear and motioned to throw her in the icy water.

Kate squealed like a banshee and he laughed as he nuzzled her neck, "Just messin'… ain't wantin' to get my shirt wet…"

In truth he'd only just managed to get her to love him he wasn't so confident to throw her into a freezing cold lake. Just yet. Plus Kate was the type of woman who would probably hold a serious grudge. So instead he let his balls do the thinking and carried her back into the house to enjoy one more use of that squeaky bed before they had to go home.

* * *

Daryl threw Kate on the bed, butterflies flew around her tummy excitedly at the sudden motion and she laughed. She leaned on her elbows as she watched him drop his jeans. There was something so erotic to her at the sight of that. She blushed at the sight of his manhood, hard and uncontrollable. _Sweet Jesus_ , he was unstoppable. Kate felt the wetness between her legs as her body anticipated him.

He grabbed her waist and flipped her over, hiked the shirt up her thighs and over her arse. Then he reached down between her legs and stroked her. After last night she had been sure she could never come again, she'd been so well and truly spent. But as he touched her she found herself desperate. Kate buried her face in the sheet as she floated away, giving herself into the sensation.

One hand gripped her hip and she felt his hardness easing inside of her, inch by inch. Daryl let out a satisfied groan when he was in all the way and Kate held her breath. It felt so deep when he entered her like this, like he was running her completely through. He started to move slowly at first, excruciatingly slow.

Kate slipped her hand underneath herself to continue what Daryl had started and his hands found her breasts as he pulled her upwards and towards him so she was sitting on his knees. He kissed her neck and pushed her hair over one shoulder before resting his chin on her, watching her pleasure herself as he continued to bury himself deep within her.

The familiar feeling started to overtake her and her breathing became more drawn out. Daryl pinched her nipple and nibbled her ear, the extra sensations were too much to bear. Kate's body shuddered as she fell apart and out of Daryl's arms onto the mattress. He followed her down and pushed himself in her hard as he found his own climax. She felt him throb and spill himself inside her and pushed away her niggling doubts. _Good lord_ , she needed this more than something that might never even happen.

"We could probably live out 'ere… just th' two of us…." Daryl whispered while he stroked his hands along her back as she lay on top of him.

"The thought did occur," Kate tilted her head up to look at him and smiled. It was a nice idea. In truth she wasn't sure how much longer she could spend all alone with the redneck and his insatiable appetite, he had devoured her completely and she was feeling sore in all the right places.

"If shit happens… we could find each other 'ere."

Kate pressed her nose against his chest and breathed in the musky smell that told the story of a night and morning of passion. "We won't need it."

"But if we did…" he kissed the top of her head.

Kate sat up on her elbow to look at him again, "if we did need it I would likely never find the bloody place…"

Daryl grinned and squeezed her arse, "you can drive us back then, memorise the route."

Kate climbed out of the bed and realised he meant for her to be in charge of his motorcycle, "Have you lost your mind?" she called to him from the living room as she pulled on her trousers. Then she inspected her own shirt which was unsalvageable from Daryl ripping it apart last night. Kate held it up to him with a look of mock disgust on her face and he raised his eyebrows mischievously.

"Recon you'll have to wear mine after all," he kissed her neck and together they gathered the rest of their belongings and headed outside. Kate couldn't help but grin at the sight of Daryl shirtless under his leather vest. Maybe instead of just forgoing sleeves he should forgo shirts all together? She laughed under her breath deciding the women of Alexandria would certainly appreciate that.

Daryl stood by his bike and gestured for her to climb on first and she shook her head. "I'll be ready for ya this time," he laughed "yer gonna need to learn fer when ya get yer own."

"Definitely not!" What was he thinking? Maybe all the shagging had made him lose the plot.

Daryl ran his hands through his hair and smirked, "ya scared?" he mocked her as he pulled her unceremoniously on to the bike.

"Literally anything else would be better..." Kate huffed. Before turning her head and smiling sweetly, "if you teach me to fish and ride a motorcycle… what exactly will I need you for Mr Dixon?"

He swept the hair from her neck and kissed her tenderly, the hair on his chin scraping behind the tickly kisses, "I can think of somethin'."

* * *

Daryl's reasons for teaching Kate to ride a bike were simple in that there was nothing hotter than a woman on a bike. He'd always had this idea of a sexy motorcycle riding fantasy woman, Kate was the sexiest woman he'd ever laid a hand on so he figured he might as well make his dream come true. Although as they stopped and started, swerved and stalled, it became clear that the little brunette wasn't exactly a natural.

"Damn woman, I might wanna get back home 'fore Christmas…" Daryl teased her as they crept along the road at snail's pace.

"Well you only have yourself to blame Daryl Dixon," she admonished him before pulling over and clambering off. He tried not to laugh as she went into full Miss Uppity mode with her wild glare and pointing finger. "This really isn't for me… we can't all be as _cool_ as you… some of us…"

A walker stumbled out of the treeline. Kate drew her sword and decapitated it, the head slid to floor with a wet thud smashing like an overripe melon. Daryl chuckled darkly at the sight of her killing the walker mid conversation like she was simply swatting a fly, life now was so _fuckin' weird_. More dead started to filter through the trees and he realised the driving lessons were over. At least for today. He slid forward in the seat and waited for her to join him.

Before long they were waiting as the gate of Alexandria was pulled open. His eyes met with Spencers and for a split second he considered running the asshole over. Instead he steered his motorcycle through the gate and Kate hopped off the back. "I'm going to go check in with Zach," she said as she began to walk away. He suddenly began to panic. Now they were back in Alexandria he worried that their nice little bubble was about to burst.

"Come 'ere" Daryl pulled her closer to him and into a passionate kiss for all to see. "Yer mine woman," he said with a smirk. He slowly rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip, "don't go changin ya damn mind or I might have ta tie ya to that big ol' brass bed an change it right back…"

"Mr Dixon… you are primeval," she grinned and pulled herself from his grasp. He slapped her sweet ass as she walked away and then headed for Aarons garage to drop his motorcycle off.

* * *

Spencer's expression hardened as he watched Kate and Daryl's happy little display. He fucking hated that stupid redneck. He closed the gate and abandoned his post to go and find Erin. He spotted her potting around in her front garden and glared at her when she noticed him. _Useless woman couldn't do one little thing right._

"You didn't keep your side of the bargain…" he whispered furiously, motioning her to move out of eye sight and earshot of the street.

"I tried… please don't tell anyone…" she begged him like she always did.

"I don't know how much longer I should keep your dirty little secrets," he threatened. In truth, he had no real interest in divulging anything to anyone, at least not yet. If he did then he would have nobody to blackmail.

"I'll do better next time…"

At her words Spencer flashed his million dollar smile, "we'll see won't we?" As he walked away from Erin he headed home rather than back to any stupid guard duties. He didn't know who Rick thought he was telling everyone what to do. They had been managing just fine before he arrived.

He stood in his apartment and looked across the street to Kate's house. He could see her in the kitchen talking to her little friend. He clenched his fist trying to decide what his next move was to be.

Kate infuriated him by choosing someone like Daryl over him. She would regret that decision, he would make sure of it. She had humiliated him at the party, talking to him like that in front of everyone. Who the hell did she think she was? Now he saw people sniggering at him when they thought he wasn't looking, he heard the whispers, she'd turned him into a pariah.

Spencer wanted to repay the favour and find a way to embarrass her, to hurt her, he wanted that as much as he wanted to fuck her. It was a matter of principle now. He was used to getting his own way. His parent's money and influence always made sure of that. Now money was worthless and his parents' influence was rapidly diminishing.

His eyes caught sight of the pride and prejudice book which he had found for Kate. He picked it up and ran his fingers over the spine. A slow smile crept across his lips as he grabbed a pen and began writing an inscription on the inside of the cover, "I'm sorry for any distress I have caused you, please forgive me, Spencer."

He hopped down the stairs and ran across the street to Kate's house and placed the book on her door step before ringing the bell and walking away. He heard her front door swing open and forced himself not to look back. He'd catch more bees with honey. Maybe next time Erin would succeed in his plot and Ms Ashwood would come crawling into his bed.


	38. Chapter 38

Kate stood in her kitchen reading the inscription on the inside cover of Pride and Prejudice. She was relieved that Spencer had offered an olive branch and was happy to put the whole mess behind her. She didn't need to be best friends with the man but she didn't want to be enemies either and more than anything she was pleased to have a copy of her favourite book. It didn't hold the sentimental value of the last one which had been a present from her hopelessly romantic Nana.

"What happened to your shirt?" Zach smirked.

Kate had completely forgotten she was wearing Daryl's clothes and of course Zach wouldn't miss an opportunity to tease her. "It was ripped apart by some wild animal," she smiled pulling at the collar while she had a vivid flashback. She cleared her throat and placed the book on the kitchen counter before filling the kettle.

"Daryl won't like it," Zach held up the book.

"It's just an apology..."

"I heard about the fight you had with Spencer. That guys an arsehole. Does Daryl know?"

Kate rolled her eyes in frustration, "no, who told you?"

"Eugene heard it from someone."

"Honestly I just want to forget about it. I don't need Daryl fighting my battles," she passed Zach his coffee and sat down opposite him with her tea.

"Pretty cool right?" Zach held up the sketch book he'd been working on and Kate flushed bright red.

"What the actual fuck Zach?!" it was a representation of Kate holding her sword to Daryl's throat in the garage and it was startlingly accurate. She died a little inside and tried to snatch it out of his hand.

Zach leaned back on his chair and sniggered, "you can't destroy art that would be like fascism or something…"

"Well it's not going in the record book."

"I thought Daryl might like it for his garage, then he can remember what he's let himself in for," he laughed, obviously incredibly pleased with himself.

"When did you get so bleeding cheeky? I should have left your stupid arse to the walkers when I had the chance," she retorted tartly and sipped her too hot tea, scalding her mouth.

* * *

Daryl enjoyed an awkward conversation with Eric about his missing shirt before the man handed him one of Aarons to wear then together they went to the stables. Daryl could hardly wait to see little Cadbury. Eric had told him Aaron was already over there.

On the way he ran into Carol who gave him a coy smile, "that was a long ride you two went for."

Daryl ignored her implications and lit a cigarette, he'd already just gone through this shit with Eric. But Carol laughed at him anyway and he rubbed his hand over his face in frustration. He was almost certain Glenn and Maggie hadn't had all this hassle when they first got together but then he recalled a certain incident in the guard tower that people hadn't let them live down for months and he groaned.

The sight of Buttons and her foal was enough to cheer him back up and he took a seat on the fence to watch them together. Aaron came out of the stables with a spade and his sleeves rolled up. Daryl felt a little bit guilty for leaving the other man to do all the daddy duties for their new horses but then after what he'd been up to the past 24 hours he couldn't feel too bad.

"They're doing well, Buttons is a natural," Aaron grinned.

"I was thinking of bringing some food over and cooking dinner at your place," Eric suggested.

"I could make cookies," Carol chimed. Daryl stubbed out his finished cigarette and nodded. He could hardly say _'sorry but I wanna go home an tie Kate to the bed'_ , that would be real unsociable. But since he had told Kate he might have to tie her up the thought had certainly festered in his dirty mind.

Daryl entered the house with his following and spotted Kate sitting at the kitchen table with Eugene, playing chess. His heart skipped a beat as he realised she was still wearing his shirt, she hadn't showered and changed which meant last night's hot dirty kisses were still all over her body. He wanted to take her upstairs and wash their bodies clean so he could mark her up again.

She gave him a small smile before returning her intense gaze to her chess pieces, her hand hovering between two. Daryl watched fascinated at the shrewd way she looked at her opponent while guiding the little black horse to its new position.

"Interesting move, I do believe I may need some time on this" Eugene drawled. Kate stood up from her seat and moved towards Daryl.

"It started out as a friendly little game… now I need to crush him," she smiled sweetly, running her fingers over his as she looked over his shoulder to their dinner guests.

"We brought food," Eric laid out all his ingredients on the kitchen counter.

"And music," Aaron placed a stack of CD's on the side before sliding one into the CD player. Some jazz song that Daryl didn't recognise started to croon out of the speaker.

Daryl took a seat next to Aaron at the kitchen table and watched Carol and Kate search all the cupboards for pots, pans, trays and bowls. Maybe Miss Uppity would learn a thing or two Daryl laughed to himself, and only himself. If she knew he was having a thought like that he'd probably be the one tied up and not in a way he had imagined. But the idea of Kate as an apron wearing little housewife had a certain appeal, as did every other scenario involving the little brunette.

Aaron spread the maps he had brought across the table. After walking away from Buttons' paddock he had told Daryl that Deanna had suggested they go on their first run for recruits tomorrow. The lovesick redneck had reluctantly agreed and together they made a list of supplies along with choosing out a suitable route.

Kate took her leave from chatting to Eric to play her turn of the chess board. Daryl found himself distracted from the plans he was making and rested his chin in his hand as he watched her. She wasn't even looking at him, she was just doing her own thing and she was so damn pretty. She bit her soft kissable lip and traced her finger over one of the chess pieces before moving it. Eugene looked up from his book and Kate grinned, "check mate".

"You may win the battle but you will not win the war," Eugene proclaimed with a solemn look on his face as he placed his book on the table and examined the board in disbelief. Daryl snorted and felt sorry for the mullet man going up against Kate's stubborn ass.

Eric offered Kate a taste of what was cooking in the pan while Carol rolled out her cookies and Zach sat at the kitchen counter hunched over his sketches. The boy showed the picture he was working on to the three chefs and Kate flushed bright red as they laughed.

Daryl could hardly believe that he was allowed on the inside of this happy little situation with music playing, people laughing, the smell of delicious food and most of all a beautiful woman who loved him. This was his home, his and Kate's. The people in it were their oddball family.

The idea of leaving this place tomorrow to go and find strangers didn't seem so appealing. Daryl's eyes rested on Kate's tiny waist and he shook his head, groaning at the soppy feelings floating around his body. Merle would have had some choice words about this.

"I don't want to leave them either," Aaron smiled and Daryl realised he'd been spending the past twenty minutes staring at Kate and ignoring the man.

"Maybe we should bring 'em," Daryl joked, but underneath he was seriously considering it.

His eyes caught sight of a book lying on the counter and he stretched to reach it. Pride and Predjdice he chuckled and flipped to the first page, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." _Mrs Dixon_ , the name rolled around in his head. What the hell had Kate done to him?

As he closed the book the writing on the inside of the cover caught his eye. Daryl's face scrunched up in anger. _Fucking Spencer_. He'd make the mama's boy well and truly sorry if he thought he was going to be shoving his nose in around here. This was Daryl's family and Spencer could go fall of a fucking cliff. Daryl would happily be the one to fucking push him and it wouldn't take much at that thought he tossed the book in the bin.

* * *

After dinner was finished the guests all said goodnight and Eugene and Zach had disappeared upstairs leaving Kate and Daryl to clean everything up. She started to pile the plates on top of one another when Daryl pulled her towards him.

"Let's leave all this mess for the mornin'," he rasped in that dreamy southern drawl.

One of Daryl's hands held hers and the other found its way to the small of her back and as the butterflies fluttered wildly around her body Kate asked him in surprise, "are we dancing Mr Dixon?"

"What's wrong wi' that?" he grinned and kissed the back of her hand.

"I didn't take you for a dancing man…"

Daryl spun her around, "I might a danced once or twice."

"I refuse to believe it… maybe you're going soft…"

"I couldn't be soft 'round you," he whispered down her ear and his hand slid from the curve of her back to the curve of her arse.

* * *

Daryl's Grandma had been the one to teach him to dance the small handful of times he visited her with his mother when he was a boy. She'd been a real southern lady and "didn't want little Daryl turnin' out like his daddy." He smiled fondly at the half forgotten memory and instead focused on Kate. Even a redneck such as himself could find it in himself to dance with her.

Daryl could much more easily find it in himself to do other things and with that in mind he kissed Kate and began to guide her up the stairs.

"We can't leave all the mess…" she protested.

"I'll throw the plates over the fence and find ya new ones…" he smirked and led her to their bathroom.

Daryl peeled off his vest and the t-shirt Aaron had given him before turning on the shower. Then he kicked off his shoes, dropped his jeans to the floor and stepped in. He loved this fancy house with its fancy shower that was big enough for two. "Whatcha waitin' for?" he grinned.

Kate leaned against the sink and laughed, "what do you think I am Mr Dixon? Your own personal sex kitten? Ready and wanting whenever you are…"

Daryl picked up the bar of soap and began to rub it over his chest, stomach and further. He watched her swallow down hard as he ran the soap along his erection. "I reckoned you might want a nice relaxin' shower s'all…" he rasped calmly refraining from begging the woman to join him. They had slept together several times now but he felt like a man untouched and needed her wrapped around him more than ever.

"Is that all?" she held his gaze and bit her lip as she let her hair down from the pony tail it was in. He watched with bated breath as she slowly stripped off all her clothes, letting the material float and caress her body as it fell to the floor.

Kate stepped in the shower and Daryl trembled almost nervously as she stood naked before him. The beads of water painted her body and his eyes wandered, trying in vain to watch every drop. He ran the soap he was holding over her curves as she stood still and serene letting him touch her unhindered. The frothy suds trailed lazily along her skin forming a pool of bubbles at her feet and Daryl followed the soapy paths with his fingers until they led him between her thighs.

"You feel like you're ready and wanting to me," he rasped down her ear as he pushed Kate up against the tiles. One of his hands braced the wall by her head and she buried her hand in his hair pulling his mouth to hers. Their teeth clashed together and she slipped her tongue into his mouth frantically before she tugged his bottom lip between her teeth. Daryl's fingers thrust inside of her and Kate whimpered, wrapping one of her legs around him and bringing his hardness tantalisingly close to its destination.

Daryl pulled his fingers out of her and grabbed her arse, bringing her at a better height for him to enter her, then he pushed himself inside. Kate gripped on to his shoulder and groaned as he fucked her hard under the hot shower with her back pushed against the cold tiles.

"Oh god yes," she cried urging him on, he nuzzled her neck and grinned as he pounded her, desperately holding on to her slippery body.

"I'm so close, don't stop," she begged him before biting his shoulder to smother her cries as she let herself go.

"Fuck Kate," he panted as he shot everything he had deep within her. If she wasn't his sex kitten then he wasn't Daryl Dixon.

* * *

The next morning Kate stood with Daryl as he packed some supplies onto his motorcycle.

"Now it's happening I don't like it…" she admitted and felt like she might cry. There was just an awful feeling to him leaving, she knew all too well that the dead and unspeakable dangers lurked behind every corner. If he found another living person they might be just as dangerous as any walker could be. "Just be really sure before you talk to anyone."

"If you say stay… I'll stay," he ran his hands along her back, his navy blue eyes looking at her in earnest and making her heart beat a little faster.

"I trust your judgement… just…" Kate sighed heavily. The idea of him leaving and never returning was her worst nightmare, now she had let him in to her heart and said those three little words she wasn't sure if she could bear it. "Promise you'll come back to me," she wrapped her arms around Daryl's neck and kissed him slow, savouring the feel of his lips and they sparks that they ignited in her body.

"I'll make it worth your while…" she teased him trying to sound a little more upbeat.

"It already is…" he ran his rough hand down her face and she leaned her head on his strong chest trying to blink back the tears that threatened her eyes. Her heart pounded painfully as she held him tight trying to tell herself she was being melodramatic.

"I can look after myself," Daryl reassured Kate while he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I know…" a stray tear crept down her cheek.

Kate felt so embarrassed for losing control like this but all she could think about was saying goodbye to Harry. _Maybe I should just make him stay?_ She considered selfishly. Then she considered Aaron and Eric. If it wasn't for them then she and Daryl wouldn't be in Alexandria right now. Eric's ankle was still unstable and there was nobody better suited to replace him than her favourite redneck. It was a tough pill to swallow but she accepted it and tried to get her wrought emotions under control.

"I'm okay, I just hate goodbyes," Kate inhaled and exhaled slowly, purposefully, calming herself down. She kissed his cheek and ran her fingers down his arms, hands and fingers as she backed away with her plastered on smile. "I have to get to my meeting with… er... Reg. I'll see you when you get back."

"I love ya Miss Uppity," Daryl smiled sadly and Kate couldn't bear another minute in the garage with him.

Kate walked away from her favourite redneck shaking. She felt so stupid for letting herself have this reaction and stupid for putting her heart in this position. Loving Daryl had seemed so right and so easy when they had been tucked away in the lake house. Now she felt like she was playing Russian roulette. She wanted to hide in her bed and cry her heart out.

* * *

 **A/N** Wanted to say again a huge thank you to my reviewers! I love you guys, makes me super excited to see a new review! Also I have an idea of where I am going with the general story but is there anything you guys would like to see more of? Fluff, smut, zombies, bad guys? Let me know and I'll try and work it in :)


	39. Chapter 39

Kate sat in the garden reading Reg's notes while Judith crawled around the garden. Carol had asked her if she minded taking a turn at babysitting and since the request was in conjunction with 'the look' the brunette had little choice in the matter.

Thoughts of Daryl were making it impossible to read and she had found herself looking over the same paragraph several times before she relented and dropped the notebook to the ground. Judy smiled brightly while she wriggled her toes in the grass and Kate scooted towards her.

"You wanna stand?" she cooed while helping Judith onto her chubby feet.

The garden gate banged as it slammed open and Kate turned to see Zach limping towards her, his brow furrowed. "What's happened?" Kate asked as she released Judith's hands letting the baby fall onto her nappy bottom with a soft thud.

"Eugene just came back from the supply run… Noah's dead, Tara's in surgery, I think Spencer's brother died too…"

A wave of nausea washed over her as she pictured Noah and Aiden's faces.

"I saw Noah this morning and now he's gone," Zach whispered.

Kate felt a stab in her chest and desperately forced thoughts of her favourite redneck to the back of her mind as she pulled Zach into her arms and stroked his floppy hair. "Let's go inside and I'll make you some tea," she soothed him and soothed herself.

Accidents happen, people make mistakes all the time, all Kate could think was that it could have been Daryl. Daryl and Aaron might never come back just like Noah and Aiden.

* * *

Night had long since fallen when Rick finally arrived to pick up Judith. "Busy day?" Kate queried.

"I was investigating a vandalised owl sculpture," he smiled as he took Judith from her arms.

 _A bloody sculpture?_ She'd spent hours dealing with a poo explosion, weaning and Judith's refusal to nap amongst other things for a bloody sculpture. Kate felt like hitting the constable upside the head, it was bad enough dealing with that shit when it was your own baby. And with everything that had happened today she wasn't feeling in great spirits to be messing around changing nappies and sterilising bottles.

Then she watched the tried single father with the bags under his eyes and the weight of the world on his shoulders cuddling his little girl and she turned to mush. She softened so much that she found herself agreeing to have Judith for a few hours the next day.

"I just can't trust these Alexandrian's with her… and I feel bad for Carl having to take on so much responsibility all the time," Rick said.

"It's okay, drop her off in the morning, she's a good distraction…" Kate smiled and closed the door behind them before throwing herself on the couch. Taking care of Judith had certainly kept her busy and her thoughts away from her favourite redneck even if her stress levels had been through the roof.

Now she was alone her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall, 7.23pm, and she wondered where Daryl was. He'd told her that he might be away overnight so she was prepared for it but that didn't make it any easier. What would she give for a mobile phone? The not knowing was making her crazy.

Kate began to consider taking vigil at Tara's bedside with Zach and Eugene when there was a knock at the door. She sighed and rolled off the couch to answer.

"Hey," Spencer's smile was strained and Kate could smell the alcohol on his breath. "I saw your light on… Can I come in?"

As much as she wanted to tell him to leave the man had just lost his only brother and he had a look of pure misery on his face that cracked her resolve. She opened the door wider, allowing him to enter. Spencer stumbled into the kitchen clutching his bottle of whiskey. He took two glasses off the draining board and sat at the breakfast bar.

Kate rubbed her temples to alleviate the headache that was starting to form as she watched Spencer pour her a drink she had no intention of consuming. Instead she filled them both a glass of water. "I'm sorry about Aiden," Kate offered as she set the drink in front of him.

"No you're not… you hated my brother and you hate me…" he slurred.

"That's not true," she didn't hate Spencer, hate was a strong word, if anything she pitied him. Most of all she wondered what the hell he was doing sitting in her kitchen right now.

Spencer downed his shot, "why don't you tell me the truth… what you're really think…" he narrowed his eyes and swayed on the stool.

"I'm sorry your brother is dead. Nobody deserves to die no matter how big of a wanker they are. Present company included."

"Wanker," Spencer snickered while he poured himself another measure. "I meant what I wrote in the book…" he rolled the glass in his hands and Kate's fingers drummed the kitchen counter as she wondered what to do with him. "I came here… because I have no one else to talk to…"

She could believe it; even with all his charm Spencer had a way of ostracising people. He was spoilt and had never learned how to deal with not getting his own way. But then Kate could be a hot head and had encountered her fair share of disagreements these past few months so she was hardly in a position to judge too harshly.

Kate edged towards where Spencer was sitting, she could see the trail of tears carving its way down his cheek and felt sorry for him. This was his first loss since the end of the world and he seemed so fragile, childlike even. She removed the whiskey from his clutches and he didn't resist. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked with a soft smile no longer caring about their past disputes. Everyone deserved a second chance.

Kate sat on the stool next to Spencer for the longest time while he told her all about his childhood with Aiden in between sips of water and two cups of coffee.

It was midnight when Zach came home from watching over Tara and Spencer took it as a cue to leave. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, thanks for listening, I needed that," Spencer looked over her shoulder to Zach and shoved his hands in his pockets before backing away.

"What was _he_ doing here?" Zach grilled her.

"His brother just died, you know that."

"His brother is the reason Noah is dead and Tara is fighting for her life."

"Well that's not Spencer's fault is it?" Kate retorted. "I'm not having this argument right now," she snatched up the dirty glasses and shoved them into the sink before heading upstairs.

She was exhausted and miserable from spending the last several hours listening to a dead man's life story. The last thing Kate wanted was to fight with Zach or have another single thought at all. She wanted sleep and the oblivion that it brought; she was done with worrying for one day.

The brunette fell into bed and wrapped herself in the covers like a burrito. _Daryl will be okay_ , Kate told herself over and over but sleep was impossible as she stared at the empty side of the bed which seemed to stretch for miles.

* * *

Kate had managed to drag herself out of bed and throw on some clothes in time for Rick dropping Judith off. Now she found herself feeling like she had been hit over the head with a shovel as she stared at the wide eyed little baby and wondered why she had agreed to this for a second time. Aside from Harry, who she adored, she had never considered herself the maternal type.

Judith smiled, showing off her front teeth and Kate traced her finger down the curve of her button nose before giving her an eskimo kiss. She consoled herself with the knowledge that Eric would be coming over shortly and he could assist in babysitting duties. Along with his suggestion that they could "gossip like two old ladies and forget all about their absent other half's."

Kate sat Judith down with a wooden spoon and some pots and pans to bash while she made a pot of coffee. Eric let himself into the house via the kitchen door and gave the brunette a kiss on the cheek. He was the kind of man who made you feel like he had known you your whole life and she was glad he was here. "We're babysitting…" she nodded her head to the little bundle that was making mischief and Eric grinned.

"I love babies," he knelt down on the floor besides Judith and held her hand. "I wanted to have a little cuddle with her but Rick is a bit… intimidating."

Kate recalled the first time she had met the constable with the hard grey eyes that pierced right through a person. Eric was right, he was scary. But at least now the beard was gone he looked less like a yeti. As if reading her own thoughts Eric made a similar comment on the famous beard and she laughed.

"Talking of unruly hair. When you gonna get Daryl to tame his? Or do you prefer him feral?"

 _Poor Daryl_ , this hadn't been the first time she'd heard mention of his hair. "I'm not his mother, I'm sure he can manage his own haircuts… and _yes_ I do prefer him feral," she grinned.

Kate threw the empty packet of coffee in to the bin and the copy of Pride and Prejudice caught her eye. She scooped it out and shook off the scraps of last night's dinner while she seethed. Even if Zach didn't approve of Spencer he had no right to throw out her book. She didn't need him to tell her what to do or who to be friends with. She dropped the book on the side and decided to talk to the teenager about it later.

The sounds of shouts came from outside. Kate left Eric with Judith while she went to investigate what was going on. Rick was covered in blood waving a gun around and Pete was in a similar sorry state. _Bloody hell,_ she glanced around at the terrified faces of the Alexandrians as they watched their new constable tell them all exactly what he thought about their little community.

Michonne took charge and knocked Rick over the head and as he slumped to the ground, Kate wondered what on earth had happened. What the hell was the man thinking? She made her way to where Michonne and Carol stood over the unconscious constable.

"Pete has been abusing his wife and kids," Carol whispered as she cast a small look to the youngest of Pete's children. Sam looked shell shocked and the brunette felt awful for him, watching his abusive dad get beaten up in the middle of the apocalypse was probably the icing on the cake for the poor kid.

Kate looked once more over the frightened spectators, "well now Rick's made himself look like a complete tosser." She had a terrible feeling about all of this. Tensions had already been high yesterday when Aiden had died and Rick waving a gun he shouldn't even have in people's faces was hardly doing anybody any favours. Even if Pete was a lowlife the constable should have dealt with him appropriately.

* * *

Another night fell with no sign of Daryl but Kate had no time to dwell. She gathered with most of Alexandria in a small courtyard to listen to Rick's judgement. As Kate listened to people give their speeches for and against the constable she ran her fingers over the hilt of her sword nervously.

Earlier in the day she had spoken with Carol and Rick, agreeing that if it came down to it she would fight and seize this place. Rick was her friend and he was like a brother to Daryl. She couldn't possibly stand by and let the man be exiled. But the knowledge of what she was prepared to do made the sword weigh heavy at her side. Kate's eyes rested on Pete's family and she wondered what outcome they were hoping for.

Before Kate had her turn at defending Rick the man in question arrived at the hearing with a walker slung over his shoulder and Kate grimaced. _What a way to look even fucking crazier,_ she decided as she bit her lip as she half listened to his speech and half watched everyone's reactions. She couldn't decide if Rick's words were getting through to the people of Alexandria or not.

Before the constable could finish his words he was interrupted by Pete who stood in the entry way to the courtyard like a mad man, brandishing Michonne's Katana.

Kate's blade sang as it glided from the sheath at her side and she gripped it in front of her. Reg approached Pete who was by this stage past the point of good reason. The look of pure hatred he shot at Rick was clear for all to see and Kate found herself moving towards him, instinct taking over all judgement.

She'd never fought a man with her sword in this way but there was little time to think and before she knew it steel was clashing loudly with steel as Kate's sword struck the stolen katana deflecting the blade from hitting Reg.

 _Shitting hell_ , the power that Pete hit her blade was unlike anything she had experienced in all the time she had used the weapon. The impact reverberated down her arms and she did her best to hold onto the blade. She was no expert sword fighter. Over time she had learned how to kill walkers but they were stupid and didn't fight back. Pete was a living, breathing, thinking man and a real threat.

Somewhere in between the sounds of her heart beating loudly in her ears she could hear a woman crying Pete's name but the whole world seemed to fade to black and all she could see was the Katana as it rose up to attack again. Her palms were sweaty as she realised his reach was far greater than hers and she tried to anticipate his next move.

Pete sliced at her stomach and she jumped back catching the end of his blade with hers in an attempt to deflect it.

"Enough," Rick shouted.

Pete sneered and for the smallest moment focused his attention on the constable. The hesitation allowed Kate an opportunity and she gripped her sword with all her might as she brought her blade up and over the doctor's arm. In contrast to hitting the Katana, hitting the soft flesh of Pete's arm was like slicing through butter.

The sound of bone cracking was sickening and blood began to spray wildly as Pete's severed arm flew thought the air, still clutching Michonne's weapon. It dropped to the floor at her feet with a clang of metal as the Katana fell from the disembodied limb. Pete blanched as he stared at his bloody stump and then his remaining arm which was hanging by sinewy threads having been caught by the same blow.

Kate's stomach turned over at the gruesome sight as hot sticky drops of blood spattered her face and clothes. Pete fell to his knees in agony, his guttural cries piercing the silence that had fallen over the courtyard.

As the wounded man lay on the ground Kate felt tears prick her eyes as a wave of emotions swept over her. What the hell had she just done? It was self-defence but she felt like a monster as more than a dozen pairs of eyes bore a hole in her back. The knowledge that some of the eyes watching her were Pete's own family only compounded the regret.

Rick pushed past her and held his gun to the doctor's head.

"Don't kill my Dad," Ron cried.

But it was too late. Rick didn't need to pull the trigger. Pete's life had already poured out of his wounds and the blood soaked the earth at his killers feet.

Kate sheaved her sword with shaky hands and her eyes met with Daryl's as he stood just outside the courtyard. But instead of relief at seeing him, she felt ashamed that he'd witnessed her kill another man.

* * *

 **A/N** Wanted to let you know that I was feeling festive today and decided to write a little one shot which will potentially be a small series of christmasy festive fluff for Kate and Daryl. So check it out via my profile :)


	40. Chapter 40

"She had no choice," Rick began to say and Kate tuned out. She stepped over Pete's body and squeezed past Daryl to get away from the aftermath as quickly as possible. She needed to be alone with her thoughts and the tears that were tumbling down her cheeks.

Killing a man in the way that she had slaughtered Pete didn't belong within these walls. It felt wrong. _Criminal_. Alexandria was supposed to be the beginning of a new civilisation. She was supposed to be a teacher in this community not _judge, jury and fucking executioner._

Kate found a quiet corner of Alexandria and slumped to the ground in the shadows where no one could find her, see her or judge her. What would people think? Even in the dark she could see the blood on her hands.

"Kate," Daryl called her name several times and she could hear him moving around searching for her.

"Just leave me alone," she begged through her sobs. She knew he wouldn't and part of her wanted him to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. He sat next to her on the cold ground. She couldn't look at him.

"I killed him… I didn't mean to do that…"

"I know," Daryl used his sleeve to wipe the blood from Kate's face and tucked her hair behind her ears.

Tears fell and she shook her head, she couldn't stop thinking about the dead mans' boys. Pete was different to the other men she had killed. She'd spoken with him and his family, he wasn't a stranger. She had been so worried about losing Daryl and now she had taken a husband and father from his family. The fact that Pete was an abusive arsehole did little to comfort the crushing feeling of culpability. In a past life she didn't believe in the death penalty for murderers and she certainly didn't believe in it for bullies.

Daryl placed his hands either side of her face forcing her to look at him. His expression was one of concern rather than judgement. "I don't wanna lose ya," he pulled her against his chest and held her so tight she could barely breathe. The smell of leather and musk filled her nose and it was like home to her. No matter what had just happened, he made it feel better. She wasn't alone.

* * *

The next morning Daryl picked up all of Kate's blood-stained clothes off the bathroom floor. He needed to get rid of the grizzly reminder before she woke up. He took one last look at her before he headed downstairs; she looked so peaceful now after a night spent fitful and restless.

Zach and Eugene were sitting in the kitchen and he joined them. They all discussed the events of the past couple of days and he couldn't get it out of his mind that both of them had nearly died yesterday.

Daryl decided last night not to tell Kate about the trap that he and Aaron had been caught in while out on their run for survivors. But as he had sat in a car surrounded by walkers he had found himself wondering if he would ever see her again, regretting every moment he had wasted with her. Then they had been rescued by Morgan and he had decided never to waste another second. He had wanted to return home and never leave her side again unless it was absolutely necessary.

When Daryl had arrived back at Alexandria it was to see Kate in the middle of a sword fight with a man twice her size. He felt sick at how easily the outcome could have been reversed. They seemed to be magnets for the danger that was plentiful both inside and out of these walls.

There was a knock at the door and Zach limped over to answer it. "You're not welcome here," the teenager told the caller and Daryl recognised Spencer's voice. He jumped off his chair in time to see the man pushing past the teenager and making his way into the house.

"The fuck ya think yer doin?" Daryl growled.

"I just want to make sure Kate's okay. She saved my Dad and after what she did for me, I wanted to return the favour."

"Return the fuckin' favour?" Daryl felt his blood begin to boil. He couldn't stand this mother fucker. Spencer reminded him of all the rich arseholes that he had ever come across. Except the tables had well and truly fucking turned. Money couldn't kill a walker or put food in people's bellies.

Kate began to walk down the stairs wearing one of Daryl's shirts and her leggings, "I'm okay Spencer," she guided the man outside of the door. Daryl couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he didn't fucking like it. How the hell had that cockroach mother fucker managed to weasel his way back into her good graces?

"I don't trust that arsehole," Zach voiced Daryl's own thought reminding him why he liked the kid.

* * *

When Kate walked back into the house Daryl, Zach and Eugene stood shoulder to shoulder, arms crossed and wearing the same expression across their faces.

"I really don't want to hear it," on top of everything she didn't need a lecture from the _three fucking stooges_ and walked out of the house letting the door slam behind her.

Kate knew she would have to face the people of Alexandria eventually and it might as well be now. She walked through the streets with her head held high and tried to appear composed but as soon as Rick's house came into sight she jumped up the steps and through the door as quickly as her feet could carry her.

The constable had Judith in her high chair while he fed her applesauce. Kate stood in the doorway and watched him. "You did a good job last night. It could have ended ugly."

Kate gasped, "you don't think that was ugly?"

"Not for us. He needed to go. These people need to realise what it's going to take for them to survive."

"Well now I've got to live with it."

Rick stood up and put his hand on Kate's shoulder, leaning into her, those hard grey eyes holding her gaze, "you did what needed to be done and it was better coming from you…" If Rick would have killed him it would have been offensive rather than defensive, the idea consoled her marginally.

"Da Da," Judith babbled, hitting the tray of her high chair in demand for more food.

"Life goes on," Rick smiled. He was right, after everything she had faced Kate couldn't let this define her. "Could you watch Judy again? I need to go deal with some… _stuff_."

She suspected he meant Pete's body and the aftermath of last night, but she didn't ask for the details. Instead she smiled and took the spoon out of his hand and sat with the baby.

* * *

Daryl hadn't been able to find Kate all morning and he was starting to worry that she had done something stupid. He wouldn't put it past her to run away

Rick called his name and he walked over to where the man was standing with Morgan. There was a look on the constables face that Daryl couldn't recall seeing, was it fear?

"We went to bury Pete's body outside of the walls and we found something…" Rick put his hand on his hip and breathed out heavily through his nose.

Daryl feared the worst; his chest was tight as he asked "what?"

"There's a quarry about five miles from here, it's full of walkers, thousands of them. It's like nothing we've ever seen."

A chill ran down Daryl's spine and blood ran cold through his veins, "what are we gonna do?"

"Call a meeting. Gather everybody in Deanna's house as soon as possible."

* * *

Kate popped Judith in her stroller and felt slightly guilty as she decided to use her as a cute little human shield against all of the bad feelings people might have towards her.

She spotted Ron sitting by the pond in the centre of town, staring into the water. He looked so lost and Kate watched the teenager for several minutes before deciding to approach him. When he caught sight of her he threw the rock in his hands into the centre of the pond with a pained grunt and walked away. She bit her lip to stop herself from shouting his name, she had no right to expect him to forgive her or want to talk to her.

"He needs time…" Carol snuck out of nowhere and made her jump before dragging her along to Mrs Neudermyer's house.

Kate could hardly believe the women of Alexandria were gathering for a coffee morning in light of what had happened last night and she was unconvinced of Carol's insistence that she should join them. Her stomach was in knots as she held her chubby little shield on her knee and sat in the living room.

There was an awkward silence hanging in the room even though there were close to a dozen people gathered and Kate stared at Erin who shifted uncomfortably on her seat. This was a bad idea, too soon. She should have stayed with the three stooges even if she had to listen to them ranting about Spencer.

"I should really take Judy for her nap," Kate stood up avoiding eye contact with the women.

"You were so brave," Shelly pierced the quiet and Kate stared at her feeling completely dumfounded. "Pete scared me, I saw him fighting with Jessie more than once and… when he had the sword… the way he was waving it at you and Reg I thought he'd kill us all."

"Deanna said your group were fighters but I thought the men must have taken care of you girls," said the lavender lady who Kate now remembered was Mrs Miller.

"What's it really like out there?" a red headed woman called Barbara who Kate had seen last night asked the question while she fiddled with her cardigan barely meeting the brunette's eye. She looked at the faces of the Alexandrian housewives that had been safely tucked away since the beginning and realised they all wanted to hear the answer to Barbara's question.

So, Kate told them about the groups she had been part of at the start, the deaths, the near misses, the desperation, the months she had spent alone on the road, Daryl saving her life and everything that had happened since.

"Good afternoon Ma'am, Rick wants ya'll to head on over to Deanna's house for a meetin'."

Daryl's familiar twang caught her ears as he spoke to Shelly out in the hall, then he walked into the livening room and her eyes met his navy blue ones with a smile. Telling the women the stories of their journey had reminded her how gallant Daryl was and seeing him now with his strong arms and that sexy southern drawl made her heart leap.

* * *

Kate struggled up from the sofa with Judith in her arms and Daryl reached out to take the sleeping bundle. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Erin and the other ladies smiling at him and the baby. He didn't need any more trouble with Kate and her damn temper so he gave Miss Uppity a kiss on the cheek and took her hand in his to pull her out of the room. He wanted to tell her about the quarry before they got to Deanna's house so she could prepare herself for the news.

Rick had finished detailing the situation in the quarry and was now explaining his solution. "That truck that's blocking the walkers is gonna give way any day now… we're just lucky we found it in time. I want to herd them away, 20 miles should do it."

"Can't we just burn them where they stand?" Kate queried.

"There's too many, I don't know if we could find the fuel, and the fire could spread," Rick replied.

"We could reinforce the trucks, build up a wall" a man named Carter started to say, Daryl had never spoken to the man but he'd seen him around.

Deanna sat on the sofa clutching Reg, both were shaken up from what they had seen last night and he kept catching the little leader staring at the brunette besides him. "We'll do Rick's plan," the congress woman asserted and her husband nodded in agreement.

When Rick started to detail the plan further he announced that it was to be Daryl to lead the herd away from the quarry on his motorcycle. The redneck had already agreed to this with Rick but he caught the worried look on Kate's face and felt guilty for already going against his plan to stay together.

When Rick asked the room for volunteers to the plan, the people of their original group were all quick to offer themselves, including Kate. He didn't like it but he supposed he would be a huge hypocrite if he told her she couldn't assist and he'd probably get an ass kicking for trying to control her so he just sighed and accepted it.

Carter spoke up again, "we're all supposed to just follow you… after…" the man shot a glance at Kate and he felt her body tense. Daryl clenched his fist ready to lay the man flat.

"After what?" Rick demanded with venom in his voice.

"After you wave a gun in people's faces…. Threaten people… After that woman butchers a man… She killed Pete and she's just going to get away with it? Why? Because she's one of _your_ people."

Daryl began to stand but Kate grabbed his arm and held him back with a gentle pull.

"Enough!" Deanna shouted and stood in the centre of the room between Carter and Rick. "There's no them and us, we're all here together and I don't like what happened last night… I suspect no more than Kate does…"

Daryl caught Aaron's eye and the man shouted, "I'm in." Soon others from Alexandria were volunteering and Kate's judgement was over before it had even begun.

* * *

The meeting broke up and Kate followed Daryl out of Deanna's house, "that went better than I thought."

"Ya okay?"

She shrugged her shoulders and sighed, "yeah, I feel like I shouldn't be… but I don't want to think about it."

"Rick's goin' over the plans with Deanna, they don't need us for that. Let's get outta 'ere."

Running away into the wilderness with Daryl was as appealing as ever and they picked up a gun from the armoury before sneaking out of Alexandria.


	41. Chapter 41

"You're not gonna break ya damn leg… if ya scared… well that's somthin' else…"

Kate shook her head at Daryl, "I'm not scared! This is just so stupid… why do you make me do these things?" She wrapped her hands around the rope before her and stared at the stream she was supposed to swing across. When her favourite redneck had spotted the little set up, he'd thought it was a great idea to swing across like some leather clad Tarzan. Now she was standing on the opposite side feeling every inch the city girl and praying to god she didn't fall in the bloody water.

She stared at Daryl who was all adventure and danger with a bow on the top and sighed in surrender knowing full well she couldn't resist him, "If I fall in… I'm taking your clothes."

"How many times do I have to tell ya? I won't let ya fall."

Kate grabbed the rope and let gravity and momentum take care of the rest. Daryl did catch her and the satisfied smile he wore on his face annoyed her and she rolled her eyes. If this was his attempt to take her mind off Pete, it was working. He had thoroughly put her through her paces in pursuit of catching some stupid bloody rabbits.

Daryl was holding her tightly, staring at her, and Kate let out a nervous laugh, "what's wrong?"

* * *

"Nothin'," he managed but his heart was beating right out of his chest with his love for this crazy woman. After nearly losing her and the idea of facing down the quarry of dead he was starting to think that _maybe_ he was the marrying kind. He was damn sure he'd never find a woman quite like her. Not for him.

On the outside she was Miss Prim and Proper with her cool English tones and ladylike mannerisms. Beneath the surface Kate was more than a little bit redneck with her hot wild streak and that damn potty mouth. There was nothing quite like hearing cusses falling from those perfect pink lips. Made him want to piss her off more often, if that was possible.

"Where to now mountain man?" she whispered bringing him out of his daydream.

Daryl cleared his throat and let go of the little brunette before lighting a cigarette and scanning the trees. He didn't really have a clue where he was going, he just wanted to be close to her and take her away from the people of Alexandria who might want to upset her or worse.

"Maybe I should take you out of your comfort zone some time… see how you manage…" Kate pouted running her hands through her tousled hair.

Clearly she didn't realise she already did every time a soppy feeling crossed his brain or an 'I love you' fell from his mouth. "How ya gonna do that?"

"We could put on facemasks, have mani pedi's and watch North and South… I have a stonking great crush on Richard Armitage... makes for a bloody good evening."

"He ever turns up 'round 'ere and I'm gonna have to stomp his ass..."

Kate laughed and rolled her eyes, "unlikely… besides… I have a bit of a crush on you too Mr Dixon." She smiled coyly and Daryl threw down his cigarette before pulling her into his arms, if she was trying to make him jealous it was easier than she probably thought.

"Would he do this?" he said as his mouth found her neck and his hand crept into the waistband of her leggings.

The sounds of shouts caught their attention and Daryl froze letting his ears discern which direction the noise was coming from. Kate freed herself from his arms and began to run through the trees but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back. "Wait," he whispered down her ear, feeling more cautious than ever in approaching strangers.

"You came for me when I needed help…"

"Ain't the same."

"Why?"

"I didn't have nothin' to lose then," he pressed his face into her soft hair and sighed knowing that no matter how much he wanted to play it safe he couldn't ignore the part of him that wanted to answer the call for help. After everything that had happened to Kate he loved that she wanted to answer it too.

Daryl led the way through the trees; he wanted to see the situation before they were involved. They stood on the edge of some high ground and below them they spotted a truck with the hood popped and four men battling a small cluster of walkers in the middle of the road.

The men were obviously having trouble with their car but they seemed to be able to handle dealing with the geeks. After Daryl cast a long look at Kate's soft pink lips, and curves in all the right places, he thought better of approaching this group. "Come on," he went to grab her hand but before he did she slipped away as the ground under her feet crumbled and she tumbled down the side of the bank.

* * *

Kate's heart was in her throat as she sat at the feet of the strange men. They were breathless from fighting the dead but one of them managed a huge grin "you fall down from heaven angel?"

Her hand reached for her gun and the two of the men pointed theirs at her before she had a chance to pull it from its holster. "What kind of a fucking line is that, Andy?" snickered one of the men, hitting the smooth talker on his back.

A bearded man knelt down in front of Kate, "you okay?"

The words were caught in her throat as she wondered what Daryl was doing and tried to imagine all outcomes of this situation. But she managed to nod and her hand found the point on her forehead that had hit a rock on her roll down the hill. Her fingers felt the blood trickling from her head and she hissed at the sting of the cut.

The man kneeling in front of her began to slowly reach for her weapon, "are you out here alone?"

Kate scooted back from his reach, "I don't want any trouble."

"Sorry," he held his hands out front with the palms up, "I'm Paul, we have someone who can look at your head but I can't take you with me if you're carrying." His eyes rested on the Glock at her hip. Daryl had told her that she shouldn't step outside the walls of Alexandria without a firearm but it wasn't doing her much good so far.

"I don't need your help, I'm heading north… and I'm not interested in a detour," she lied. These people were so very close to home.

"Your head's cut up bad. Might have a concussion."

"That's not your problem," she began to stand on shaky legs, her fingers bushing her gun and her heart pounding.

"We have a community… not _too_ far from here," Paul held her gaze and there was something about him that seemed trustworthy but she couldn't take the risk. People weren't always what they seemed and she continued backing away.

"More of them…" Andy shouted and Paul stood up to look towards the dead that were approaching.

By now Kate had shuffled away from him even further. "Good luck then," his brow was furrowed in uncertainty when he said the words and he nodded his head for her to leave. Kate cast one last look over the group of men before scrambling up the hill.

* * *

Daryl pulled Kate up the last of her climb. He would have been more impressed with how fast she'd scaled the bank if his balls hadn't been in his throat the entire time. He had stood watching the scene from the tree line trying to figure out what to do. Visions of what happened to Beth had been at the forefront of his mind and when the man let her go without incident he'd felt like a vice had been released from his chest.

He was finished with his recruiting job. Why he had even considered it in the first place seemed absurd to him now. People were unpredictable. Even though they had allowed Kate to leave, it wasn't enough evidence for him to bring four armed men back to their home. He couldn't risk inviting any more arseholes like Pete, Spencer or worse to stroll through the gates of Alexandria.

Daryl held his little brunette briefly in his arms and passed her a handkerchief out of his pocket to hold over the cut on her head before they crouched down and watched the group of men kill the walkers, abandon their truck and leave on foot.

"Should we follow them?" Kate whispered while she dabbed away the blood.

"It's getting' late, we need to get back 'fore dark." Daryl replied as he looked through the canopy of trees. Then he inspected the injury which seemed tiny compared to the mess of blood that had poured from it. "You'll live," he smiled and grasped Kate's hand to kiss the back of it.

Daryl pulled Kate into his arms to hold her properly and whispered "I love ya" as he stroked her hair and down her back. _Magnets for danger_. He ought to take her home and never step foot outside of those walls again but that was impossible. If he really thought about it, that wasn't what he wanted at all and one of the reasons he could give his heart to Miss Uppity. She wasn't some helpless princess that needed locking in an ivory tower, she was a fighter. He liked the idea that if shit went south they could ride off into their own private little sunset of survival.

"I love you too" Kate sighed, nestling into him before her mouth found his. All the feelings of fear and worry became fervent desperation as their lips crashed together. His hands cupped her ass bringing her closer to him as his tongue explored hers.

Daryl pushed her up against the nearest tree while his mouth moved down to her neck and his hands slipped from her ass along the curve of her hips and under the shirt she was wearing. It was his shirt and his woman and he wanted to take her. Kate's head sank back against the tree as she moaned in delight at his kisses, her hands gripping his leather vest holding him close.

Then she went stiff and pushed him aside while pulling out her gun, shooting two dead that were creeping towards them. Daryl ran his hands through his hair as he questioned what the hell possessed him to lose control like this in the middle of a fucking danger zone.

Kate's nervous laugh as she looked at him told him she was thinking the same thing and he leaned his hand on the tree for support while he allowed his racing body to slow down. This is why he always hunted alone. Kate was just a walking, talking, great ass distraction. A redneck couldn't be expected to think straight with her around.

"Take me home mountain man," Kate holstered her gun with raised eyebrows and he could hardly get them back to Alexandria fast enough.

Spencer was waiting at the gate when they returned and Daryl groaned. The man was a damn thorn in his side. "My mom wants to talk to you," he pointed to Kate.

"I'll see you later," she kissed Daryl on the lips which made the situation a whole lot better for the redneck and he grinned like the cat that got the cream before turning to head home.

Daryl dropped his crossbow on the kitchen floor and was about to grab a drink of water when a voice startled him from the corner of the room. "I made lemonade," Erin smiled.

"What the hell ya doin' here?" he looked out of the window to see if Kate had changed her mind and headed home instead of going to speak to Deanna.

"It's a peace offering… I made dessert too…" she poured them both a glass of lemonade and he rubbed his head. He felt uneasy having this woman in the house. The way she looked at him reminded him of a cat stalking a mouse and he didn't want to be the _fucking mouse_.

"Ma'am, maybe ya should leave, come back when the lady of the house is 'ere," he explained as politely as he could while she passed his lemonade. He didn't want to have to force Erin out of the house, he didn't believe in laying his hands on a woman like that. But she ignored his request and just smiled, wafting her hair over her shoulder.

Daryl wasn't sure exactly what happened since he was too busy staring out of the window for Kate but Erin spilled her drink all down her front, "oh dear, silly me," the woman gasped and started to unbutton her shirt.

Daryl ran his hands through his hair and cleared his throat while he turned away. _Fuckin' hell_ , what was this woman thinking? Hadn't she seen last night's events? Most people would be scared shitless of going near Kate, and what was hers. "ya can clean yourself up at your own house."

He could hear the footfalls as Erin started to walk upstairs declaring that she would, "borrow one of Kate's' shirts… I'm sure she won't mind… I can't leave the house in just my bra can I Daryl?"

Daryl held his face in his hands and had a damn heart attack, "don't take her shit." He started to follow the obnoxious woman up the stairs and into the bedroom. The last thing he needed was to have to explain to Kate why another woman had her clothes.

Erin was standing in the bedroom looking out of the window, "you have a lovely view of the town from here."

"Jesus Christ lady, ya gotta get your ass outta here," Daryl bore a hole into her curly hair on the back of her head. He didn't want his eyes to wander even an inch south.

Erin turned around and propped herself on the window sill, "what's the matter Daryl? Why are you so jumpy? I know I'm not her but you can still look..."

"I don't wanna fuckin' look, I want ya to fuckin' leave right fuckin' now!"

* * *

Deanna had wanted to clear the air with Kate in regards to Pete. Even though the congress woman had said as much at the meeting earlier, it was nice to have a private conversation on the matter. Now she only had to worry about Ron. After what the ladies had said at the coffee morning Kate assumed that Jessie was probably slightly relieved to see her husband gone, even if it was a grisly end.

Spencer insisted on walking her back home and she was glad to have some time to talk to him without the three stooges around. After abandoning them this morning she had realised that in a way they were right. "I may have forgiven you for our… disagreement. But you haven't apologised to Daryl and when you come to our house you're stepping on his toes… if you want to build bridges then you should at least make an effort with him."

"That's fair," Spencer smiled. "I don't want to make things awkward between you both. After what happened with Aiden… I realise life's too short."

As Kate opened the front gate Erin's naked torso caught her eye in the upstairs window. _What the fuck?_

She opened the front door carefully and crept up the stairs to see Erin wrapping her arms around Daryl in the doorway of the bedroom. Her brain could barely register the scene, it made no sense.

Daryl peeled Erin from around his body with a flustered look on his face. Then his eyes glanced down the hall and met with Kate's.


	42. Chapter 42

Kate's heart pounded, her teeth clenched and her stare became hard and unforgiving. Nobody fucked with her, not anymore, not since Harry had died. She strode down the hall like a heat seeking missile locking on to her target. The situation was clear to her and she was outraged at the audacity of it.

Kate's fingers dug deep into the curls on Erin's head as she brought the woman to her knees. Her free hand tightened into a fist ready to strike as the well within her that was filled with rage, hurt and everything in between started to overflow. But Erin wasn't fighting back, she was cowering like a frightened dog. Images of Pete staring at his severed arm flashed through Kate's mind reminding her what she was capable of and the terrified look on Erin's face made her feel like a monster.

Kate slowed her breathing and her hand fell limp at her side. She couldn't hit a defenceless woman no matter how pissed off she was. Erin collapsed on the floor in a blubbering mess of frizzy hair, "I'm sorry," she wailed, "It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"What do you mean?" Kate demanded as she hooked her finger under the woman's chin forcing her to look at her.

"You were supposed to get mad at Daryl… please don't hurt me," Erin shrieked as she covered her head with her hands causing Kate to roll her eyes. She'd barely even touched the woman and she was behaving as if she'd been beating her for years.

* * *

"What the fuck ya sayin'?"

"Spencer…" was all Erin needed to finish with before Daryl and Kate connected the rest of the dots. His eyes met Kate's big brown ones and he saw the fire igniting within her once more before they both raced to see who could get their hands on the son of a bitch first.

Spencer was waiting in the kitchen like a snake in the grass. "You're gonna be fuckin' sorry now ass hole," Daryl shouted as they bounded down the stairs. The man did a double take and ran out of the kitchen door and beyond. _Probably running to his fuckin' mummy_ , the redneck snorted.

Kate took off after Spencer with a leap over the fence like a bat out of hell. _Holy fuckin shit_ , Daryl laughed as he pursued them as best he could be he wasn't any kind of natural sprinter. _Crap, gotta quit fuckin' smokin' if I wanna keep up with this crazy woman_ , he decided as he coughed and ate her dust. He never could quiet tell when they were in the woods but out on the tarmac Kate was like the _fuckin' roadrunner_.

In the distance he could see the little brunette taking Spencer down but instead of making him run faster he found himself slowing and watching the fight unfold like a bizarre daydream. He'd been thinking about kicking Spencer's ass again ever since their other fight but there was something incredibly satisfying seeing the man's ass being beaten by a woman. Hell, there was something real perverted about enjoying watching her fight and he didn't care to stop. Maybe he should have been more concerned but all he could think was, _goddamn_ , and _thank god it's not me_.

/

Shoulder barging Spencer to the ground was painful but as the adrenaline pumped around Kate's body she felt invincible. "You absolute… fucking… prick," she shouted before her hand connected with his face. He shoved her back forcefully and her elbow scraped along the rough ground like cheese on a grater but the pain wasn't near enough to subdue her rage.

"You're a liar!" she hit him again and then they tussled as Spencer grabbed her hands and tried to throw her away from him once more.

Kate's knee found his crotch and hit its target to her satisfaction. He rolled away with a pained whimper before calling her a "fucking bitch!"

Abraham's strong hands grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back while she kicked out trying to get one last hit on Spencer. All she could think about was how stupid he had made her look. She'd defended him to the three stooges but now it was turning out that they were right. She fucking hated being wrong.

"Get off me," Kate struggled in frustration but his grip was overwhelming.

"Hells bells duchess, didn't your daddy ever tell you to pick on people your own size?" he chuckled down her ear.

"Fucking let me go!"

"Reign it in Kung Fu Panda… look around… these streets have eyes… especially after last nights shit storm… you wanna be public enemy number one?" he whispered down her ear.

* * *

It all happened so fast and Abraham was pulling the little brunette off of Spencer before Daryl went in for the kill. Rick grabbed his shoulders and breathed down his ear, "not _yet_." Those two words and a look of understanding was all that needed to pass between them at this point. _Not yet_. His friend was right; there were too many witnesses for the shit heap he wanted to pile onto Spencer. He wanted to make well and truly sure that the motherfucker didn't let any ideas of Kate cross his mind again.

The idea of this slimy little mummy's boy planning and plotting like a _creepy fucking psycho_ made his skin crawl. Fuck only knew what he might come up with if he didn't get a proper deterrent. Daryl had threatened him once and he wanted to make good on it. But could he really kill Spencer? He shook the idea off, he wasn't a stone cold killer but he could _scare the fucking crap out of the bastard,_ and have fun doing it too.

He strolled calmly over to where Spencer was beginning to stand and bit back the urge to clothesline the man. "You think I make empty threats? Better think again boy," he half smiled, his voice thick, southern and filled with menace.

Daryl turned to Kate who was still in Abraham's safekeeping and the army man released her to his open arms. "You must have balls of steel to tame this hell cat," he bellowed.

Kate's head snapped behind her towards the moustached man, "why you so bloody interested in other men's bollocks?"

"Ah Duchess… you sure are a damned prickly pear," Abraham laughed before he left and Daryl cursed the man for getting her all riled up again.

"You're just going to let Spencer walk away?" Kate challenged in full blown Miss Uppity mode. Her face was all flushed, her hair ruffled. As his eyes roamed her body, Spencer ceased to exist. All he could think about was how much he wanted to take this wild woman home and throw her down on the bed.

Daryl spotted blood dripping down Kate's arm and he reached out to inspect the injury."Ya done a damn number on your arm here… let's get ya fixed up."

"Who fucking cares about my arm? What about Spencer?"

"Ya really think I'm gonna let that fucker get away with all that shit?" he began to lead her away from the gathered crowd. "At least one of us has gotta try an look civilised," he teased her and the angry look on her face was as dear to him as a smile.

* * *

Daryl sat Kate on the bed and she stared at a spot of lint on the carpet. Now her rage and adrenaline had fizzled away she felt mortified at her behaviour. When did she ever get so shamelessly violent? It was unbecoming. What must Daryl think of her? She tortured herself as he eased off her shirt to inspect her cuts and bruises with a gentleness that didn't quite match his rough exterior and she realised that it didn't feel weird sitting in just her bra as his hands ran over her body.

The graze on the back of her arm was stinging like crazy and he cleaned it with a damp cloth before dressing it. Then he swept her hair over one shoulder while he inspected the other side with a sigh, "ya got a mighty big bruise comin' on."

"I wish you wouldn't have had a fight like that…" Daryl caressed her swollen skin gently with his calloused fingers.

"Are you embarrassed?"

"Huh? Course not… it was hot as hell seeing you go all redneck on his sorry ass. It's just I should be the one to protect ya from that sorta thing…"

Daryl sat on the bed besides her exuding masculinity and she questioned why she hadn't let him fight for her. Between falling down the bank and fighting with Spencer she felt like she had been steamrolled, "okay," she answered to his suggestion.

* * *

A look of surprise crossed his features, _okay_? He was fully expecting her to shoot him down with an 'I can take care of myself' and a lecture on the reasons why.

"You can be my knight in shining armour… truth is I really hurt my bloody hand hitting Spencer's face..." she looked so small and feminine despite what she'd just done and he smirked as he took her little hand in his big one and kissed along her reddened knuckles. He liked the sound of being her knight in shining armour but he suspected that she would forget her words as soon as the opportunity arose.

Daryl's eyes rested involuntarily on her breasts as her breathing began to slow and become heavy. His throat felt thick with lust as his eyes met hers. She had a sexy smile on her lips and her eyes smouldered as she learned in, taking his bottom lip between her teeth and tugging playfully before her hands grabbed his collar and pulled him towards her for a deeper kiss.

"I don't wanna hurt ya," he worried, unsure of where to put his hands on her bruised body.

"Maybe this will make me feel better… Dr Dixon" she purred and guided him along her breast, down her waist to her ass. He didn't need telling twice.

They fell back onto the bed and Daryl felt a hard pain in his hip as he rolled on the mattress with Kate. He reached between them to pull the gun at her waist from its holster with a soft chuckle. He never imagined himself romping around with a woman that packed so much heat, i _n_ _more ways than one_. His hands began to run carefully along her body and their lips crushed together again.

"Wait…" she panted as the sound of Eugene and Zach's voice floated up from downstairs but Daryl ran his tongue along her collarbone unfazed.

"They might hear us…" she protested in vain while he removed his shirt and threw it to the floor.

"Half the street probably hears… ya loud enough to wake the… dead," he laughed before nuzzling his face between the lacy bra that was holding her soft, full breasts.

"Daryl Dixon!" she admonished before blushing a bright shade of red and trying to squirm from beneath him.

"I ain't complainin' darlin'," he rasped as his mouth sucked her nipple through its lacy cage causing her to omit a low groan. It was like he'd been set a challenge and he found himself wanting to make Kate come so hard that the whole town could hear. He smirked as he pulled off her leggings and panties, teasing his mouth between her legs.

Kate's soft moans and whimpers as he licked and sucked made him painfully hard and he resisted the urge to plunge himself inside of her. He wanted to hear only her as his mouth tore her apart with pleasure. Her hands grasped the sheet beneath her and she thrust herself closer to his hot, wet tongue as the rhythm of her pants and moans became faster and more urgent. His name sprang from her mouth like a hallelujah and she tried to stifle the boom of it with the back of her arm as she shuddered apart.

Daryl crawled up Kate's body and she wore a soft smile on her lips as he whispered, "not nearly loud enough…" The words brought her out of her daze and she pushed him onto his back, biting her lip with that wild look in her eyes as she straddled him.

The sight of her sitting on him was still almost unbelievable to Daryl. How'd he get so goddamn lucky? It would probably take him a forever before he could believe that this was his real life instead of the hottest fantasy he'd ever mustered. Kate unhooked her bra and threw it down. He was mesmerised by her breasts and the hard pink nipples that were the same colour as her lips. His hands cupped them and enjoyed the weight and fullness as he ran his thumbs over the hard peaks as his wild woman grinded against the hardness trapped in his jeans with teasing slowness.

Daryl's hands slipped down her sides and Kate began to plant sultry kisses along his body ever lower until she nestled between his legs. Her fingers found his belt and unbuckled it before removing the rest of his clothes. His erection sprang free and she licked her lips. His breath caught in his throat as he realised what she was about to do. His mind flicked back to all the times he had fantasised about her doing this exact thing and his heart raced even faster with anticipation.

Kate's long hair fell in waves that tickled his thighs and his heart stopped as she gave a sultry smile and puckered her lips to land one delicate kiss on his end before her tongue trailed a pleasurable path along the whole length and then around the tip. He melted like butter in her hands and let out a noise he didn't realise he was capable of.

Their eyes met and Kate did one slow erotic lick of her lips before she took the tip of him inside her mouth. "Fuck", he groaned, it felt so damn good and it looked even fucking better. She took him in and out of her mouth inch by inch with surprising depth. Daryl thought he might be in heaven as her delicate hand massaged his balls as her mouth worked its' magic on his length. He groaned and called her name as the feeling of release started to build to a fever pitch.

"Fuck woman… ya betta stop that 'fore ya get a mouthful," Daryl rasped and Kate's eyes met his with determination as she carried on bringing him to the brink and pushing him off the edge. He shot everything he had into that gorgeous English mouth in what was probably the most erotic moment of his life. A woman had never done that to him; at least not that he could recall since most of his dealings with women were drunken one night fumbles.

Daryl pulled Kate into his arms and she nestled on his chest in the same way she always did and he vowed that he didn't want to spend another night without her little head resting on its place right next to his heart.

When the waves of pleasure had subsided he thought briefly of Spencer and decided to go speak to Rick about what he wanted to do. He needed to make sure that the man didn't make any more plans. God only knew what the psycho was capable of and he couldn't risk a hair on the little brunettes head.

* * *

In the early hours of the morning just before sunrise Daryl and Rick stood outside of Spencer's apartment. These Georgia boys were going to teach him a lesson in respect.

"Ya sure 'bout this?"

"Of course. You're my brother. I got your back and nobody fucks with us and ours," Rick pledged without missing a beat.

Daryl would do the same for Rick and as the constable had pointed out earlier, "Kate had killed a man" to defend him. But this wasn't about paying back a debt it was about family.

Together they crept into Spencer's bedroom and found him sleeping as they had intended. Rick forced a rolled up tube sock deep into Spencer's mouth then Daryl pulled a hood over his head. The asshole was too dazed to put up much of a struggle aside from a few muffled squeals and together they tied his hands around his back with some rope.

Now that he was hatching his plan it felt fucked up but Daryl was past the point of giving a shit about Spencer Monroe's 'feelings'. As he looked at Rick's hard grey expression he almost laughed out loud as he realised he was committing this crazy fuckin' act with half of Alexandria's police force. For a moment he thought about Merle, he would have loved this fucked up shit.

Dragging Spencer out of Alexandria was easy since the man was trembling with fear rather than fighting back. Rick had arranged for Abraham to take the night duty at the gate and the army man had been happy to oblige. They silently dragged the arsehole through the woods as light began to penetrate through the trees.

When they had walked out of Alexandria Spencer must have heard the gate or felt the change of flooring under his foot because he had started to plead with them through the sock in his mouth, but their silence eventually subdued him and his head hung heavy.

When they had reached sufficient distance from the community they strung Spencer from a high limb of a sturdy tree and his cries began again. The branch was just high enough that he was stretched out with the tips of his toes scraping the ground uncomfortably.

Rick and Daryl retreated a distance to watch Spencer and let him sweat for a while. An hour hanging from the tree wondering what was going to happen to him should be enough time to terrify the mummy's boy and prove the point that Daryl was not to be messed with.

After twenty minutes Spencer was already crying uncontrollably. Daryl lit a cigarette and itched the hair on his chin. He wasn't enjoying the man's torture like he thought he would, but he wasn't hating it either. Rick seemed unaffected as he squatted on a rock supervising their human piñata with a vacant expression.

Eventually a couple of walkers were drawn to Spencer like fish to bait. He must have heard their approach because his body began to shake in fear and his cries became more pitiful as the dead crept closer. One of the geeks was in reaching distance of the piñata and began clawing clumsily at his t-shirt, eliciting more wails and strained kicks from the man.

 _Fuckin' hell,_ Daryl scrunched up his face in distaste as he stared at the piss soaking Spencer's jogging bottoms. Then the redneck lifted his crossbow and shot the first walker, shortly followed by the second.

Daryl walked to Spencer, retrieving his bolts along the way, and throwing his crossbow on his back. Then he stood before his hostage, "now I'm bein' real fuckin' generous with ya 'ere on account of ya nice mama an daddy… but _don't_ fuckin' try an test my patience again… "

Daryl punched Spencer hard in the stomach for good measure before he took his bowie knife from its sheath and cut through the rope holding Spencer to the tree. The man thudded to the floor heavily. "Don't touch… look at… or even fuckin' think about Kate or next time I won't fuckin' come back… ya understand my meaning asshole?"

Spencer mumbled incoherently through the hood. "What's that?" Daryl challenged the man's feeble rambling despite knowing full well what he was trying to say. But the redneck wanted the situation to be crystal fucking clear and Spencer began to nod his head and plead his apologies even louder through his stuffed mouth.

Daryl's gaze met Ricks in acknowledgement of a job well done and the two men walked away leaving their captive in a sorry pile on the ground to fend for himself.


	43. Chapter 43

Daryl's side of the bed was empty when Kate stretched herself awake. She smelled his musky scent on his pillow like a woman completely obsessed.

After getting dressed and realising she was down to her last pair of knickers she began to scoop up the mess of clothes that had started to accumulate around the room. Then she was hit with the strangest thought, she hadn't done laundry in probably well over a year. "Filthy bitch," she laughed out loud while trying to locate a hamper.

In fact, she hadn't dusted, hovered or cleaned a bathroom in forever. Kate carried her hamper of clothes downstairs and began to notice how grimy her house was quickly becoming, probably not helped by her three male house pigs.

Before the end of the world Kate had employed a housekeeper who would come to her house once a week to take care of all the domestic stuff. As she bit her lip and tried to figure out the washing machine the sound of the kitchen door opening caught her attention. Daryl looked weary as he ran his fingers through his hair and gave her a soft smile.

"Where have you been?"

"Dealin' with Spencer," he placed his crossbow on the floor and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. "I don't think he's gonna be bothering us again," Daryl wrapped his arms around Kate's waist and rubbed his nose along hers before giving her one soft kiss that told her she didn't need to know the details.

"Ya washin' my clothes?" Daryl smirked as he hooked some of his underpants out of the hamper.

Kate grabbed them out of his hand and finished stuffing clothes into the machine before standing up and pointing her finger at his satisfied smile, "that look on your face... makes me want to throw your bloody clothes in the woods."

As she was leaning down deciding on which setting to use Daryl slapped her arse, "why ya always gotta be so damn hostile?"

"Well I wouldn't want you to think you had me tamed…" Abraham's words yesterday had ruffled her feathers. He was such a sexist pig. _Stupid moustache_.

"Believe me darlin'… that definitely ain't what I think…"

Zach limped down stairs with his sketch book hooked under his arm, "hey Daryl I got a present for you."

Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head causing Zach's grin to widen as he shuffled quickly, drawing in hand. _Stupid teenagers._

* * *

The sketch of Kate holding the sword to his heart was perfect _. This was their relationship to a_ _goddamn t, she held all the damn cards and he was her eternal slave._ "Woo wee Zach… shit… definitely not tame," Daryl laughed at Kate's chilli pepper cheeks. _One for the grandkids_ , his mind conjured the words and made his own jaw drop. _Shit_ , he looked at the brunette's face and then her stomach. What the hell was wrong with him?

Daryl thanked Zach for the picture and promised to display it in his garage before moving the conversation swiftly on. "I'm gonna be heading out with Aaron and Eric to collect cars for Ricks quarry plan,"

"Okay," Kate smiled before walking to the closet and pulling out her sword. It hadn't escaped his notice that she had left the weapon at home yesterday and the way she was silently staring at it made him feel a stab of pain for her.

Kate cleared her throat and placed the blade on the kitchen table before giving Zach a list of chores, which he protested against in vain. This was Kate's castle and she was the bossiest woman he'd ever met so the teenager stood little chance of a reprieve.

Daryl interrupted her discussion with Zach, "I got this… you stay here." He hadn't intended on for Miss Uppity to invite herself along.

"What?" Kate shot him a look. "you think I'm going to sit around washing your smalls and knitting socks while you go out there and…"

She didn't need to finish the sentence for him to know what she was going to say. She wanted to join him outside of Alexandria for the exact reason he wanted her to stay, "so much for ya letting me protect ya..."

"I was referring to Spencer when I said that!" Kate back tracked her words less than 12 hours after she'd said them. Daryl groaned and ran his hand over his face, there was no point fighting her, he'd only lose.

* * *

Kate tried the ignition again and the car stuttered before falling flat.

"Goddammit," Daryl kicked the tyre in frustration. Along with Aaron and Eric they had spent the entire day scavenging a measly seven cars when they likely needed over a hundred to build a walkway for funnelling the dead out of the quarry.

It had quickly become clear that this task was a logistical nightmare with hot wiring, jump starting, changing batteries and moving fuel from one car to another.

Kate rested her head on the steering wheel and sighed while trying to adjust her injured shoulder into a comfortable position. She wasn't sure whether she obtained it from knocking into Spencer or when he threw her to the floor but the bruise on her back was throbbing painfully with every movement. Not that she wanted to admit as much to her overzealous protector, he was right too often for her liking.

"Walkers," Eric warned and Kate got out of the car to see a large cluster of more than twenty heading their way. That was another problem with car collecting, the noise of the engine turning over brought the dead from every nook and cranny. But this group was more than they were prepared to face so when Aaron shouted "in here" everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.

They made their way through the back door of what turned out to be 'Henry's Antique's & Curios'. Her eyes roamed around the rows of shelves and glass display cabinets that were crammed full with whatever you could imagine, she decided that 'antiques' was a loose term.

Kate's fingers caressed the handle of a tacky looking china cup commemorating Charles and Diana's royal wedding. She immediately thought of red post boxes and Toffee Shop fudge while an overwhelming feeling of homesickness gripped her chest leaving her breathless. England might as well be on the moon it was so unreachable for her now. Instead her eyes sought comfort from Daryl as he crept around the store with his crossbow in hand and she felt the crushing feeling subside.

Kate drew her sword with a grimace as the weight of it pulled heavily at her injury but she pushed past the discomfort to investigate the store with the others. There was a wooden door shaded in the corner, behind the till, and she grasped the handle, throwing it open. A thick wave of stench poured out of the tiny office and Kate staggered back. Her stomach turned over violently. "Oh my god," she screwed up her nose and gripped the edge of a cabinet while biting back the strong urge to vomit.

* * *

Daryl jumped through the door that Kate had opened as soon as he heard her gasp and instantly regretted it. "That's fuckin' ripe," he'd thought he was jumping to his fair ladies rescue instead he found himself choking back bile. From the looks of things Henry and his dog had taken a one way ticket out of this place by way of a shot gun to the face. A shudder ran through him as he shut the door and after making sure Miss Uppity was okay he suggested that they move to the second floor and away from the smell.

Daryl sat by the upstairs window watching the street with Aaron while Kate and Eric perused the assortment of weird and wonderful items. "Looks like we'll be 'ere a while," Daryl resolved as the dead blocked the streets.

They must have crawled out of all the nearby buildings at the sound of them trying several times to start the cars and he was happy to wait it out where they were all safe.

The sound of Kate's girlish giggles drew his focus and he spied through a shelf at her and Eric trying on hats. She looked so damn pretty and the sound of her laugh was intoxicating. He stood back from the shelf and decided to check around for anything useful. There were empty shelves that had once held guns and ammo, now long looted.

Before long he found himself with torch in hand in the darkest corner of the store, checking over his shoulder for signs of Kate. He was alone and indulging his inner soppy self while he put his torch between his teeth and carefully opened the glass cabinet that was teaming with all kinds of jewellery. Although he was pretty certain he knew what he was looking for, even if he didn't care to admit it to himself.

Daryl was so engrossed in opening the various boxes and casting every ring he saw aside that he didn't even notice Aaron sneaking up on him.

"You looking for a ring?" the man laughed and Daryl dropped the torch out of his mouth as his stomach hit the floor in shock. Shock at being snuck up on and shock at being caught looking at wedding rings.

When Daryl retrieved his torch Aaron was standing before him, holding open one of his discarded options with a large grin on his face. Daryl cleared his throat and tried to think of any excuse to say to the other man but came up blank. _Shit_. "Yeah," he rasped and carried on looking.

"So you're going to propose?"

Damn, that was the million dollar question. The idea of asking Kate to be his wife, forming the words 'marry me' in his mouth made him break out into a hot sweat. But then he'd never imagined saying 'I love you' either. "Ain't decided yet… don't be tellin' people 'bout this…"

"My lips are sealed. But for what it's worth, you're good together," Aaron's words were genuine and even though he hadn't known the man for long he trusted his judgment. "And our community could use a wedding to take the edge off… everything else," he laughed while picking through Daryl's pile of rejected options.

"What 'bout ya'll?"

"Eric and I?"

Daryl raised his eyebrows and pointed the torch he was holding between his teeth towards Aarons face, putting him in the spotlight. The man looked nervous as he tugged his collar and laughed, "he hasn't asked me yet."

A couple of years ago if someone had told Daryl he would be discussing proposals with a gay man he would have barely been able to comprehend the words 'engagement ring' let alone the rest of it.

Daryl was about to give up his search and started to wish that Aaron hadn't caught him when he opened one last box. He didn't know what sort of ring Kate would want but this single solitaire on a plain gold band was what he imagined sitting on her delicate finger. It wasn't fussy or vulgar and when he shined the torch on it, out of all of them, it sparkled the most. _Mrs Dixon_ , the sound of it terrified and excited him in equal measure. Just like Kate did.

* * *

When they arrived back home that night Erin was waiting in the kitchen for them and Kate threw her sword down on the table in front of the woman like a gauntlet. The curly haired woman jumped back in her chair at the clatter of it and could barely meet their eyes as she began her apology, "I'm so sorry for what I did. Spencer… It's just I don't want you to hate me…"

"What does he have over you?" Kate demanded feeling exasperated. Erin shook her head unwilling to reveal more. The brunette rolled her eyes and sighed, she was exhausted from car collecting and just wanted to fall into a chair and let Daryl cook like he had promised.

Her favourite redneck must have sensed her frustration because he opened the door and gestured for Erin to leave, "if he threatens ya again, I wanna hear 'bout it." Daryl said kindly and Erin lapped up the gentle tone in his voice before scurrying away.

Kate wanted to forget about Erin and Spencer once and for all so as soon as the door was shut she wrapped her arms around Daryl and rested her head on his chest to listen to his heart. "So, what are you gonna cook for me Mr Dixon?"

Daryl dropped his crossbow to the floor and picked Kate onto the kitchen counter. "Anythin' ya want darlin'."

* * *

A/N If you've made it this far please leave a review! I'd love to hear from you :)


	44. Chapter 44

The ring had burned a hole in Daryl's pocket for the next several days while they went on runs to slowly build up the line of cars. Eventually he had resigned himself to hiding it in the back of his drawer. Every time he thought proposing was a good idea he reminded himself that it had been no time at all since their first official date and he was probably thinking like a crazy man. God only knows what had come over him. Merle would have called him 'pussy whipped' for even entertaining the idea of matrimony.

Now he was sat in a truck with Kate as she tried to squeeze it into an awkward spot between a tree and another car. Daryl chewed his lip and held his hand over his mouth as she tried to remain composed in the face of her increasing frustration. Every time he looked at her furrowed brow and her wild expression a slow smile crept across his face.

"Oh for god's sake!" she exclaimed as she scraped the truck along the tree and rammed it into the space. _Fuckin' hell_ , Daryl grit his teeth and held tight to his seat as the vehicle shuddered along.

Kate turned off the ignition and the car fell silent as she held the wheel and turned slowly so her eyes met his, "don't even say it Daryl Dixon."

"I wasn't gonna say nothin'" he took a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear, "'cept I woulda got it in without fellin' a tree."

Kate rolled her eyes then bit her lip in the way that made him crazy, he wanted to pry her mouth apart with his tongue. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her towards him for a kiss. They were alone out here and as the kiss deepened he felt Kate's hand rub along the bulge in his trousers.

Daryl thrust into her touches and groaned. She wanted this as much as he did. The idea of a woman wanting him like this was still thrilling. They began to shed their shirts between kisses. When her bra was discarded his hands found her breasts and he traced the outline of them with his fingers before his mouth moved to suck and lick at her nipples. "Oh," Kate moaned and tilted her head back. Daryl wanted more, he could hardly wait to be inside of her and he tried to pull her closer within the confined space at the front of the truck.

Kate laughed as she clambered backwards between the two front seats and lay across the back. Daryl followed her with enthusiasm. His hands gasped at the buckle of her sword belt and pulled down her jeans in a frenzy. When she was naked he grabbed each knee and pulled them apart as he let out a ragged breath. She was so damn beautiful and she was all his.

Kate wrapped her arms around him to pull him back into a breathless kiss and he kicked of his shoes, then his pants. When his erection sprang free he breathed a sigh of relief into her neck and stroked his hand along it, he was so close to being inside of her now. Daryl's kisses moved down her neck and to her breasts before he ran his hand along one of her legs and hooked it over his shoulder to position her in a half sitting position. The tiny space at the back of the truck proved quite a challenge although he was more than happy to rise to the occasion.

Daryl ran his tongue along the silky smooth leg next to his head and it occurred to him that they had only just made love that morning as well as the night before, but right now he was desperate again. She was his drug and no matter how much he took her he craved evermore.

Daryl grabbed his length and placed it over her entrance and watched as he eased into her. The whole of him disappeared into her tight wet space, joining them together. Kate groaned and bit her lip as her body opened to him.

"Fuckin' hell," he growled and squeezed her arse before he pulled slowly out so he could watch himself bury within her again.

* * *

Daryl held onto her leg and pressed his face against it as he worked her body with long hard thrusts. The temperature in the car soared and a thin layer of sweat glistened on them both, gluing Kate to the cheap vinyl seat but nothing could stop the endless rhythm he was pounding inside of her. Together they were a hot tangle of frantic limbs and even her head knocking into car door wasn't enough to stop her begging "more… oh god… yes…"

Daryl's mouth sucked hard at her nipple sending shockwaves to all the right parts of Kate's body. The feeling down below that was begging for release started to flood her in great crashing waves that pummelled every ounce of strength from her body into a breathless high of sensation. He wasn't far behind as he buried his face between her breasts and groaned something inaudible while she felt him shudder and fill her up.

* * *

As they lay entangled together on the backseat of the truck, Daryl's fingers traced lazy circles along Kate's soft skin. He nestled his nose in the sweet smell of her hair and once more was reminded of how much he was in love with her. Despite the dead man clawing at the door behind their heads he felt peaceful as he picked up her left hand and kissed the spot where he wanted to put the ring.

The sound of a car pulling up brought them out of their post orgasmic bubble. Daryl peaked his head through the window to see Eric and Aaron lining up another truck. _Shit_ , they started that battery quicker than he thought. He cupped Kate's breasts one last time with a devilish grin, "Aaron had no problems parkin'… just sayin'."

Kate flicked his forehead with a playful scowl, "well maybe next time you'd prefer to ride shotgun with him."

"Nah… I definitely prefer riding with you…" Daryl chuckled and kissed her knee before they started to collect their discarded clothes in as much of a frenzy as they had shed them.

"We know what you're doing!" Eric called out. Daryl wiped away the condensation from the window of the truck before flipping him the bird. Then he shrugged on his vest and gave Kate one last kiss before smoothing down her ruffled hair and climbing out of the vehicle. Although from the flushed and embarrassed look on Miss Uppity's face he supposed she would have rather stayed in the car for the foreseeable future.

* * *

They made it back to Alexandria before nightfall and Eric and Aaron invited themselves over for dinner as had become customary. The former cooked up some spaghetti for the four of them and before Kate sat down for dinner she took a plate up to Zach who was too engrossed in his sketches to join them.

"I've noticed Kate isn't wearing any new jewellery," Eric probed as he ate his dinner.

Daryl dropped his fork onto the plate with a loud clatter before wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve, "ya told him?"

Aaron held up his hands, "It slipped out…"

Daryl ran his fingers through his hair and had the strong urge to jump onto his bike and ride away. This was turning into a nightmare. The added pressure of people knowing wasn't making asking her any easier.

"We have a church, a pastor, all you have to do is propose. We could help you set something up…"

"Propose?" Carol's blue eyes peeked around the kitchen door and Daryl smacked his hand over his face with a groan.

"Is she pregnant?" Carol speculated.

"Ya'll need to shut up..." he leaned back and glanced up the stairs for signs of his little brunette. "Goddamnit, why ya'll gotta be so fuckin' nosy?" Daryl felt like someone had lit a match to his cheeks as he tried to avoid eye contact with everyone at the table.

"You didn't answer the question," Eric teased as Carol sat down next to Daryl, patting his back like he was a child.

Daryl tried to relax and act normal as he heard the sound of Kate's footfall hopping down the stairs. But the three people at the table were anything but 'normal' with their big knowing grins. He wanted to knock their stupid nosy heads together. One person knowing was bad enough, now it was three.

Miss Uppity took her seat at the table and she must have sensed something was wrong as she rolled her eyes and shook her head at Eric and Aaron, "I promise I'll take my turn tomorrow." The two men had been teasing her all day about her weaselling her way out of making dinner and leaving the boys to "slave over the stove."

"Kate cooking dinner… could be romantic…" Eric winked. Daryl's fist clenched into a ball and he tried to keep his cool as he kicked the man's leg under the table.

"Jeez!" Eric spluttered and jumped back in the chair.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked.

"Yeah," Eric smiled at Kate before narrowing his eyes at Daryl. "I _propose_ … you make chilli tomorrow, I adore Mexican food… Chilli Tuesday has a certain… _ring…_ to it."

"Tomorrows Wednesday," Kate said as she picked at her food, completely unaware of the insinuation. Daryl felt his stomach turning over as he silently mouthed 'shut up' at Eric who was quickly becoming his least favourite person.

"Is it? I really need to… _engage…_ my brain before I speak…"

When their houseguests finally said goodnight and returned to their respective homes Daryl breathed a sigh of relief, he'd never been so glad to see someone leave. After the dinner table incident he'd spent the entire evening worrying one of them would say something to Kate. At this rate, and with Eric's penchant for gossip, the whole of Alexandria would probably know by tomorrow. The idea of her finding out from somebody else was even worse than the fear of asking her. Daryl knew he had no choice but to act quickly.

Kate was sitting by the fire sharpening her sword, the light dancing off her silky hair. He threw the crossbow bolts he was repairing onto the couch then sat down beside her. The weight of everything they were about to face rested heavily on his chest as he ran his fingers along her hair and brought a handful to his lips for a kiss.

What if they only had little more than a few days together? He tried to squash the idea that chocked him and he leaned his forehead against her shoulder, "ain't got long now 'til we gotta do Rick's plan."

"We'll be okay…" she whispered and Daryl could hear the uncertainty in her voice. He watched from his place on her shoulder as she ran her blade twice more along the stone and placed it down in front of them.

Daryl slipped his hand into hers and ran his thumb over her delicate fingers. Her hand was so small in his, she was so fragile and the idea of anything bad happening to her tormented him. "Kate…" his voice cracked as their eyes met. Daryl cleared his throat trying to compose himself. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to say to her, or if he could say anything at all.

"Could you take me to the quarry tomorrow? I wanna get a sketch of it for the records," Zach bounded into the room.

"I promised Carol I'd watch Judy while she goes with Rick to see the wall they're building."

Daryl scratched his chin and took a deep relaxing breath. _When did he get so fucking soft?_ This woman was making a mouse out of him. He'd thought being an indoor cat was bad enough. "I'll take ya," he rasped to Zach in an attempt to get rid of the boy. But instead the teenager sat down in between them both and showed the brunette the sketch he had made of Reg and Deanna.

* * *

After looking at all of the sketches and listening to Zach's plans for tomorrow Kate had picked up her sword with a sultry smile and a nod of her head that encouraged her favourite redneck to join her upstairs. Daryl had wasted no time in chasing her up the stairs and throwing her down on the bed.

Now as she lay beside him she was sure she would never get enough of this man as long as she lived. Kate loved the breathless heavy feeling in her body after Daryl had well and truly worked her over from top to toe. He was a man of many talents and she happily curled her toes in the mess of bed sheets. He sat up on his elbow and stroked tenderly along her body, "I love ya," he whispered.

Kate let out a pleasurable sigh and rubbed her nose along his in an Eskimo kiss, "I love you Mr Dixon."

A slow smile crept across his face before Daryl kissed and nuzzled his way along her body, tickling her with the hairs on his chin. When he reached her stomach he kissed her bellybutton before looking at her with those intense blue eyes, "marry me…"

Kate's breath caught in her throat and her heart stopped beating. Not a single sound could manage its way from her lips as her mouth fell open.

"Did ya hear me?"

Several more moments went by as her brain began to fire back up from the trance she was in. "Yes… I mean I heard you…"

"Well? Ya gonna let me make an honest woman outta ya or what?"

"Are you serious?" Kate could hardly believe what was happening, and she laughed nervously, "I didn't see you hit your head…"

"That's cos I didn't," he sat back on his heels and ran his hands along her thighs before climbing off the bed. Kate wrapped the bed sheet around her torso, unlike Daryl she didn't feel like having this conversation wearing nothing but a smile. He edged over to the dresser and pulled out a little velvet box and Kate's heart jumped into her throat. _How long had he been thinking about this?_

Daryl sat on the bed besides her and opened up the box. The ring was classic, simple and beautiful. One round diamond that sparkled, even in the dim light. His fingers fumbled clumsily as he hooked the ring out of the cushion it was nestled in and picked up her hand delicately, "I find myself in want of a wife."

 _Oh shit_ , Kate's palms were sweating and her breathing was unsteady as she tucked her hair behind her ears and stared absently at the ring. The idea of marriage hadn't crossed her mind. She wasn't sure if it was something she even wanted.

Her fingers found Daryl's cheek as she brushed away the hair from his eyes. She thought back to her proposal from Ryan and realisation set in, "are you doing this because you think I'll get... pregnant?"

* * *

Daryl pulled his face away from her hand and shut the ring back into the box as his body released a heavy sigh. "No, I love ya and I wanna be with ya…"

"I just don't understand where this is coming from…"

 _Why did she always have to be so damn stubborn?_ _What was there to understand?_ "Jesus Christ Kate… we have an army of the dead sittin' on our fuckin' doorstep."

"So you think we're going to die?"

"You think that's why? Fuckin' hell, why you always gotta be so goddamn stupid?" Daryl stood up from the bed and threw the ring out of the window in frustration.

"A ring on my finger won't change anything… it won't stop bad things happening."

He pulled on his jeans and grabbed his shirt "Don't ya think I know that? I want ya to be my wife cos I love ya… even if you're the most annoyin' damn woman I ever fuckin' met…"

Kate bit her lip and sat motionless on the bed like she was made of stone. She didn't need to move or say another word, his heart was already tore right out of his chest. Years of people telling him he wasn't good enough bubbled to the surface and he felt stupid. Now everyone was going to know that she didn't want him.

Daryl couldn't understand why she had told him that she loved him and now was refusing to marry him. He decided he didn't care to hear the answer or anymore rejection. He couldn't look at Kate for one more second and grabbed the handle of the door, failing to realise she'd never actually said the word 'no'.

Before stepping out of the room he swallowed down the thick feeling in his throat then thought about the first time he ever saw her. _Those big brown eyes, she'd look so dainty and sweet_. _No that wasn't right_ , he backtracked his own thoughts, she hadn't looked sweet she'd looked wild, dishevelled and pointed a gun in his face. Regardless, something about her had been irresistible to him. He'd wanted to bring home Bambi but he'd brought home the fucking chupacabra instead. He should have let her walk away and saved himself all the trouble.

"Daryl," she called to him in a whisper that was like an arrow through the heart.

"I wish I'd never met ya," he blurted, even though deep down he knew it wasn't true.


	45. Chapter 45

Kate grabbed a t-shirt out of Daryl's draw and pulled it on as she followed him out of the bedroom. Her head was spinning from how quickly everything had escalated. _Was that it for them?_ _Had he given her some sort of ultimatum? Marry him, or fuck off?_

Daryl stormed down the stairs and Kate paused at the top, grasping onto the railing. Fighting back the tears that wanted to burst from her eyes. She wasn't going to beg him to stay. She wasn't sure she could say anything without turning into a blubbering mess so instead her hands picked up a picture frame off the wall and launched it down the stairs.

Daryl dodged the frame which hurtled to the floor, spraying shards of glass everywhere. He left the house with yet another slamming of the front door.

* * *

Unlucky for Zach the walls of the house were like paper but for the last 15 minutes instead of hiding under his pillow and wanting to take an ice pick to his ear drums he'd found himself pressing a glass against the wall. _Why can't they be happy?_ He'd rolled his eyes as Kate and Daryl's voices had become heated in argument.

Zach looked at the secret sketches he'd been making of his family and the one he'd done of Beth. He had wanted to give that one to Maggie but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get it right. The teenager hadn't known Beth for very long but even now he still missed her.

There was no one for him in Alexandria and he was lonely. He envied Kate and Daryl, finding someone in this mess was special. With each passing day, week, month it became less likely they would find other people. _Normal people_.

The sound of the door slamming made him shake his head in disappointment and he wondered which one of them was walking out on the only good thing they had. Teasing Kate about Daryl and encouraging her to take a chance on 'love' had been his pet project ever since she had taken the bullet out of his leg. Zach supposed it was his way of returning the favour. His way of saving Kate, even if it was only from herself.

The teenager slowly opened his bedroom door and poked his head out to see Kate standing at the top of the stairs in tears. He'd heard pretty much word for word what Daryl had said to Kate. As much as he liked the man, Kate was the closest thing he had to family and he didn't like to see her upset.

"You want me to kick his ass?" he smiled softly, trying to relieve the tension. Kate wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks. She was obviously trying to compose herself but every time she brushed away a line of tears more bubbled forth.

Zach inched towards her and pulled Kate into his arms. It was strange to see her looking so vulnerable, he felt like he was Dorothy peaking behind the wizard's curtain. As he rested his chin on the top of her head it occurred to him that he'd never realised how tiny she was, although he'd heard Abraham call her an "angry little chihuahua" more than once.

* * *

Daryl snuck into Carol's house to spend the night on her couch, the woman along with most of Alexandria were already sleeping and try as he might Daryl's mind and body couldn't switch off to allow him to join in the slumber. He'd lay awake for hours replaying their conversation in his head, picturing her face and feeling utterly miserable.

"Want to tell me why you're on my couch?" Carol sat in the chair across from him and he jumped at the sight and sound of her. How long had she been watching him? He didn't even remember falling asleep.

"No," he answered. He didn't want to give her the details of what happened. Hell, even if he did want to he probably couldn't. Even Daryl didn't know how things had moved from asking her to marry him to telling her he wished they had never met. The statements were so far apart from each other that he decided there must have been a serious fuck up and he suspected the fuck up was on him.

There was a knock at the door which Carol answered. Daryl sat up and pulled his boots on. He wasn't going to hang around and be questioned any further.

"I'm ready when you are," Zach stepped into the lounge holding his sketch book, reminding Daryl about his promise to take him to draw the scene at the quarry. The hunter groaned and picked up his crossbow. He didn't want to take the teenager to the quarry but then he supposed that Kate would be annoyed if he let the boy down and right now he didn't feel in any position to cause any more problems.

* * *

Carol stopped by with Judith and a handful of nappies. Kate took the baby and sighed, this was the last thing she wanted to do right now. She was exhausted and felt dismal. Since last night she'd gone through every emotion and had ideas ranging from wanting to kill Daryl to wanting to leave and never see him again. Right now she hated him and was toying with the idea of ripping up all his belongings and leaving them on the doorstep with a sign that read 'wanker' or 'arsehole'. She couldn't decide which.

"Everything okay?" Carol asked. _She knows_ , Kate thought.

"Why are men such huge dickheads?"

"Daryl loves you."

"Yeah well maybe we should be able to hold a conversation without him walking away like a petulant child."

"Because I'm sure you're a peach to live with…"

"Oh I can assure you I'm not! And I don't care to be either!" Kate and Carol stared each other down until the brunette placed Judith on the ground and composed herself. She didn't want to have this fight with anyone but her least favourite redneck and it was clear that his close friend was only going to defend him. Kate would have thought nothing less of Carol, so instead of continuing on her diatribe she smiled and said, "I'll see you later."

* * *

"I know what happened," Zach broke the silence they had been sitting in all morning by the quarry side.

Daryl kicked a rock over the edge of the cliff face. Of course he knew what had happened, somebody always knew his business in Alexandria. It was like fucking daytime television to them.

"You made her cry… dude, that ain't cool. Why you gotta be such a fucking dick to her? Don't you know she loves you? Any man would be lucky to have her. You're gonna to blow your chances and end up miserable!"

"Alright, Jesus Christ!" Daryl's heart sank as he pictured Kate's tears over him and he felt like a huge arsehole. Even if she didn't want to get married, she still loved him. What was he going to do, force her? She was allowed to make up her own mind. If Aaron hadn't seen him with the ring he might have waited even longer to ask her, or not done it at all. They had only known each other a few months and if they were in the normal world there would be no way he would have proposed so quickly.

But they weren't in the normal world. If they were he would never have met someone as special as Kate. The closest they would have got would be walking past each other on the street. They probably wouldn't even have looked at each other. He wasn't like Merle, he didn't catcall the pretty women that walked by. He would have kept his head down and never even noticed her big brown eyes and soft curves.

They were in the world of the dead where any moment could be your last and finding someone as beautiful and smart as Kate was like winning the lottery. Daryl wanted to hold onto her with both hands and pledge himself to her in front of everybody.

Daryl kicked another rock in the quarry and felt stupid. He loved her so damn much. What if he had ruined things? He'd tried so hard and waited so patiently for her to accept him and now he had thrown it all away. He felt sick at the idea of never touching her or talking to her again.

"Let's go," he shouted to Zach. Daryl couldn't spend another minute out here worrying about what was going to happen with Kate.

As he sat in the car and waited for Zach to join him Daryl felt like he was having a panic attack. What if he was leaving his apology too late? He should have never walked out on her last night. He recalled the soft way she'd said his name before he left the room like a fool. Meeting Kate was the best damn thing that had ever happened to him.

"I might not be as tough as you, but if you make her cry again I'm gonna have to kick your ass..." the boy started to say as he climbed into the car.

Daryl interrupted Zach, "I won't," he groaned. He saw the corners of Zach's mouth turn into a smile before the boy opened his sketch book back up and continued.

* * *

Eugene read aloud from 'The Time Machine' which was hardly the most child friendly book Kate would have picked, or the most uplifting given their post-apocalyptic world but Judith hung on to his every word. She sat on the floor with him chewing on a wooden spoon in a trance and Judith's happiness was Kate's who could now focus her attention on making dinner.

Shelly had given her a recipe for vegetable chilli and despite what had happened with Daryl she saw no reason not to keep her promise for the rest of the boys. Her saving grace was that this recipe was a one pot style dish and since the only vegetables they had were tinned she didn't even have to chop or peel. She felt like Nigella Lawson as the pan bubbled on the hob and she realised she hadn't even broken out into a panicked mid cooking meltdown.

Now all her thoughts started to fill once more with Daryl Dixon and she cursed her efficiency. She'd been so caught up in feeling completely shocked by his proposal and then floored by his anger that she had barely even considered the other side of things. He had asked her to marry him, whether his reasons were the right ones or not. She felt like crying at the turn of events, she had completely ruined what was supposed to be romantic.

Maybe she had been overthinking things and he truly was asking because he loved her. No ulterior motives, just love. _Oh bollocks_ , she slammed the spoon she was holding onto the side miserably. She loved him and hated him simultaneously. But most of all she felt like together they had rubbed all the shiny off his proposal. If she said yes now, if he even still wanted her, then it would feel forced.

Kate turned the heat of the hob down to number one and felt angry all over again. He was the one that had turned last night into a fight, he was the one that had said hurtful things. She'd given her heart to him and he had seen fit to stomp on it. They should be able to discuss things without it turning into world war fucking three.

* * *

Daryl followed Zach into the house feeling sheepish. He half expected another projectile to come flying through the air at his head when Kate saw him but she was too busy holding Judith to throw anything. At least anything too big.

"Eugene, follow me, I wanna show you something…" Zach pulled the mullet man from his seat in the kitchen and grabbed Judith out of the brunette's arms.

Daryl swallowed down hard and placed his cross bow down as he moved towards Kate. _Shit_ , his heart was beating out of his chest with apprehension. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Pardon?" Kate enquired, clear, crisp and cold. Her arms were folded across her chest and he felt like she was challenging him. Although he wasn't quite sure what the challenge was.

She could be so fucking mean. He shoved his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat. "I said... I'm sorry."

"Sorry for being a huge fucking wanker? Or sorry we ever met?" she said coolly.

"Ya know what I'm tryin' to say… why ya gotta make it so damn difficult?"

"Because I am… difficult… I'm not going to be told what to think… or what to do… or be emotionally blackmailed. If you can't handle that Daryl Dixon then I suggest you…" Kate hesitated and let out a little gasp before she finished with, "leave."

 _Emotionally blackmailed? What the fuck did that even mean?_ Goddammit, he was in way over his head with this shit.

Then his brain registered the word 'leave' and he ran his hand over his face in frustration before wrapping his hands around Kate's waist and pulling her body against his. She was his undoing, she made him crazy and she was wild as the chupacabra but he'd be damned if he was going to walk away from the most beautiful woman he'd ever looked at.

"I love ya, I'm glad I met ya... an' I'm sorry for being a huge fuckin' wanker," one of Daryl's hands swept along Kate's spine and buried itself in her hair so he could kiss her before she said another word on the subject. He kissed her deep and hard. He kissed her until she melted into a breathless puddle. "I don't care how goddamn stubborn ya are… how uppity… how much ya won't be told… I'll get ya to walk down the aisle and be my wife… even if it takes me a thousand squirrels and a truck full of beans," he promised Kate and he promised himself. Then he kissed her again.

Kate pulled away from the kiss and bit her lip as she stared at him for what felt like forever. "Let's go find that ring."

Daryl looked out of the window into the garden where he'd thrown the token of his affection and then back at Kate. A huge grin spread across his face, "yeah?" She was going to marry him? Daryl span her around in a circle and couldn't stop thinking, _Mrs Dixon_.

They ran into the garden and searched everywhere until he found the little box nestled amongst the roses and he breathed a sigh of relief. He had to get that ring on her finger before she changed her damn turned to face Kate who was looking through the azaleas and since he was already on one knee he opened the box and held it out, "ya gonna be my old lady or what?"

Kate stood up and a small smile teased at her lips as she walked towards him. His heart was beating so hard and she looked so beautiful. Daryl couldn't believe Miss Uppity was getting two proposals out of him in the space of 24 hours. Then his beautiful, crazy, English woman told him, "I'll marry you Daryl Dixon but if you call me old again you'll find yourself sleeping outside for a week."


	46. Chapter 46

By the time Kate and Daryl had gone back into the house the usual guests had assembled for dinner along with Rick who had decided to join them when he arrived to collect Judith. Eric had moved the party to the dining room, where it was still a squeeze. Kate sat at the head of the table with her favourite redneck at the other side, and she couldn't stop smiling at him. Even though the room was filled with people all she saw was him and the butterflies in her tummy were fluttering wildly.

"Argh," Eric shouted causing Kate to cough out the water she was drinking. "He proposed!" her friend proceeded to remove the glass from her hand and admired the ring on her finger.

"You knew?" Kate cast a curious glance between Daryl and Eric who were giving nothing away.

"What happened to hating men?" Carol interjected.

Kate felt the eyes of all the men at the table resting on her and she felt the hot pink of her cheeks burning brightly before she flicked her hair over her shoulder nonchalantly and cleared her throat, "that may have been a slight overreaction." She could hear Daryl snort and looked up in time to see him shaking his head in amusement.

"Congratulations," Rick bounced Judith on his knee "we could maybe push back the plan for the quarry if you wanna to get hitched right away?" he grinned.

It wasn't the first time someone had come up with an excuse for pushing back the plans. It had become a bit of a running joke, although it wasn't very funny. Everyone was dreading having to deal with the thousands of walkers and tomorrow was the last day to tie up the last of the preparations before the dry run, and then the real thing. Kate twirled the ring on her finger and laughed nervously. _Bloody hell_ , _must everything move at 100 miles per hour?_ Rick was worse than Daryl.

" _We_ can't possibly plan a wedding in a day," Eric said dramatically and Kate breathed a sigh of relief as everyone began to tuck into their dinner.

Aaron was the first to splutter, followed by Daryl coughing, "Jesus."

Kate's heart sank as she took a tentative lick from the end of her spoon. It was like being slapped in the taste buds with a red hot poker. The intense heat made her gasp and she thought one thing, _oh shit._

"How much chilli did you use?" Carol exclaimed as her eyes watered and Kate cringed.

 _Why did there have to be so many witnesses to her mistake?_ She wanted to hide under the table and avoid everyone for the rest of the week. Yet at the same time she was slightly pleased that now she would probably never have to cook again. But only slightly pleased, with an overwhelming feeling of being completely mortified. Failure was never an easy pill for her to swallow, much like her cooking.

An awkward silence hung over the dinner table, with no one daring to abandon the meal or eat it. It would be such a waste of food if they left it and Kate felt terrible and questioned her wifely abilities. Ryan was always the cook when he wasn't working away and when he was he used to batch cook meals for the freezer. He was obsessed with eating organic home cooked food and disapproved whenever Kate took Harry for pizza or a burger on their adventure days.

"I like it," Eugene drawled matter of factly as he spooned the larva into his mouth and shrugged his shoulders at everyone else. Kate could have kissed him. The mullet man eating the chilli with ease and enjoyment was like a personal challenge to the testosterone sitting around the dinner table as almost everyone else began to force the dinner down despite their red faces and runny noses.

* * *

After saying goodbye to their guests and cleaning up, Daryl chased Kate up the stairs. As he kicked off his boots she asked, "do you still want to marry me?"

"I dunno… ya might have to make it up to my stomach first."

Kate laughed and pressed the back of her hand against her head and cheeks. "If it makes you feel better I think I've made myself ill too..."

Daryl chuckled and patted his tummy, she was lucky she was so beautiful. "How long ya gonna make me wait?" he kissed her ring finger. He didn't mind waiting a little while since the day Aaron had called Kate his wife in the barn Daryl had conjured a fantasy that he would quite like to enact. He wanted to see Kate in a white dress and carry her over the threshold of their house like he'd seen in the movies and he didn't care if that made him the biggest damn pussy that ever lived. There was something sexy about throwing his bride down on the bed and ripping off her dress that Daryl definitely wanted to partake in.

"I don't know…" Kate looked out of the window in a daydream and he watched her silently pondering like she so often did. "The plans Aaron and Eric were suggesting were a little out of hand…" she said eventually.

Their new friends had been making like it was their own wedding all evening and although Daryl wanted Kate to wear a dress he wasn't sure about the rest, he figured his bride would sort all of that out. His mind wandered to lacy white lingerie before he cleared his throat and asked, "what do you want?"

"Maybe we should make like the Saxons… exchange weapons before shutting ourselves in the bedroom for a month, drinking mead…"

"Weapons?" Daryl raised his eyebrows. What the hell was wrong with this woman? He never thought he'd been the romantic one in a relationship. Maybe he would have to plan the wedding with Eric after all.

"Yeah, the man would give his bride his ancestral sword… you know to pass down to their future… sons," she ran her hands through her hair then bit that damn lip and Daryl could tell Miss Uppity was wavering.

"What did she give him?" he encouraged her.

"Erm… the bride would have a new one forged for her groom…" Kate ran one finger along his bicep thoughtfully, "because a man should be a warrior."

The place where Kate's finger ran along his arm tingled and he mulled over her words, did she think he was a warrior? His heart swelled a little at that idea. "We only have one sword," he pointed out before grabbing her wrists and pulling her onto his lap to straddle him so he could get a better look at his crazy woman. "What the hell is mead anyhow?"

* * *

"Honey wine…" Kate laughed and kissed him softly before whispering "they thought it would increase… fertility… " Daryl chocked on her word and she relished the look on his face. "That's why it's called a honeymoon… but perhaps we may skip that part?"

"I dunno, the idea of drinkin' wine an havin' ya all to myself for a month is kinda nice…"

She twirled the ring on her finger and smiled before feeling guilty for giving her favourite redneck such a hard time when he asked her to marry him. "I'm sorry I was weird… before… I just didn't want you to feel like you had to..."

"I did have to," Daryl kissed her hand and Kate's breath caught. "Don't ya know you've been drivin' me crazy since the day we met?"

"Are you saying it was love at first sight?" she teased him and the butterflies fluttered again.

"I didn't say _that_ … but I sure did like the way you said my name."

"Is that right… Daryl… Dixon?"

"Yes Ma'am," he ran his hands along Kate's back and pulled her towards him for a kiss. "Ya gonna tell me what you thought?"

"When we met?" she traced her fingers along his hard chest and he nodded. Kate bit her lip and pondered the answer, "I thought… I have to get away… from this dirty, feral, irresistible redneck before my clothes fall off and I beg him to ravish me."

"Shut up," he scoffed and slapped her arse playfully. He clearly had no idea how attractive Kate found him.

"It's true," she kissed him and tugged at his lip with her teeth. "Please Mr Dixon… ravish me…" Kate begged seductively and slipped her top over her head before opening the button of his pants. Daryl wasted no time in giving into her request as he threw her down on the bed.

He was rough as he pulled off her remaining clothes, kissing and biting her exposed skin and she enjoyed the feeling of being thrown around the bed by him. When they were naked Daryl pinned her arms above her head and kissed her passionately, she was conquered and at his mercy. He entered her with one hard thrust that made her gasp then kissed her neck and her sucked her nipples as he brought her right up to the edge of her orgasm, and stopped.

Kate begged for more and Daryl flipped her over and slapped her arse before he grabbed her waist and entered her again. He held one hand on her shoulder and the other between her thighs as he built up a rhythm that made her tremble. Kate felt herself climbing to the edge once more and she could barely keep herself on her hands and knees. Daryl must have sensed her slipping down into the bed as he grabbed her hips before he fucked her even harder until they were both spent and falling onto the bed breathless.

* * *

The next morning everyone was making the final preparations to the quarry plan. Rick asked Daryl to head to a party supply store to look for some helium and balloons and Daryl asked Kate to join him. She was pleased because despite the dead she rather enjoyed supply runs with her favourite redneck. Who knew what they might find?

When they pulled up outside the shop there was a handful of dead littering the street. Kate jumped out of the car and drew her sword, she approached the nearest walker and sliced through its eyeball. One of Daryl's bolts whizzed past her head and she jumped before glaring at him. Then she sank her blade into another walker.

What had seemed like a small manageable amount of dead started to become more, as walkers appeared from nearby streets and behind an abandoned delivery van. Kate raised her sword to kill another of the dead when she felt a hard tug at her ankle that threw her off balance and she fell to the ground with a painful thud. The edge of her sword sliced through the abdomen of the walker she was trying to kill and a line of pungent intestines splattered everywhere as the hand that had grabbed her ankle started to pull her under a car towards hungry jaws.

Kate kicked her foot while bringing her sword around to meet the face of the gutless walker that was kneeling down to devour her. It was an awkward angle and she rammed her sword through its cheek instead of the temple she was aiming for. The blade lodged between its jaw bones and she frantically tried to yank it free but it was stuck and from her position she hadn't got the strength to pull it free. Instead she rattled the stuck walkers head around in front of her face and began to panic.

Everything seemed to go into slow motion as she kicked the car walker at her feet again. Kate's heart was racing, her arms tiring and she found herself unable to release the scream that was brewing in the pit of her stomach. From the corner of her eye she spotted a dead woman limping towards her on a mangled leg and tried with even more desperation to pull her sword from the corpses jaw.

The dead woman dropped to the ground and there was Daryl, removing his knife from the woman's skull. He loaded his crossbow and shot the gutless walker before jogging over and stabbing the walker at her feet.

Daryl picked her up and clasped his hands on either side of her face. He didn't need to say anything. She already knew. Kate wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her face into his chest as she caught her breath. Two walkers were nothing, she had killed countless but even so she had been unable to withstand them on her own. She had been reminded just how easy it was to become overwhelmed. When she thought of the thousands in the quarry she felt physically ill.

Daryl guided them to the party store and picked the lock before they shuffled inside. Kate ran her thumb over the end of her sword as she breathed heavily in and out and tried to push all the bad thoughts away. The little shop was completely untouched. She supposed there wasn't much call for balloons and fancy dress at the end of the world.

Kate and Daryl swept the aisles to make sure it was safe before she spotted the '1st birthday banners' and thought about Judith. Rick had confessed at one time that he wasn't even sure of his daughter's exact birthdate and Kate had been reminded of all the dates and anniversaries she had missed over the last couple of years.

When they had arrived in Alexandria, she had realised that she had forgotten two of her own birthdays. Not that she minded bypassing turning 30 too much. In the apocalypse Kate was happy to remain forever 29. In fact if asked, since she had no ID, she might even be inclined to shave off a couple more years and if that was utterly vain she didn't care one iota. She laughed inwardly and shoved a packet of pink birthday banners in her pocket before picking up a big tub of bubble solution.

Kate clutched her bubbles and a princess crown she had found as she browsed the racks of fancy dress clothes. She spotted a sexy bride costume and had a slight panic attack before shoving it to the back of the rail. _Eric would love it in here_ , she decided as she rounded the corner and found Daryl gathering balloon choices. He looked so ridiculously serious that she couldn't help but smile.

Her eyes landed on a sheriff's hat sitting on the shelf across from him and she reached for it. Daryl was the perfect way to forget about all her worries. She pulled the hat on her head with a playful smile and waited for her favourite redneck to catch her eye.

When Daryl stood up and finally looked at her, Kate placed her hand on her hip and with an air of authority she asked "do you have a licence for those… big guns?"

Kate wasn't sure because it was dark but she was almost certain he blushed before he cleared his throat and chuckled, "no ma'am." Then Daryl gave her an odd look before he pulled her into his arms and she let the bubble mixture crash to the floor as he kissed her desperately. His hands gripped her waist tightly against him and she couldn't think of anything but him.

"I'm not sure this is appropriate conduct with an officer of the law," Kate teased breathlessly and tipped her sheriff's hat.

"Whatcha gonna charge me with?" Daryl picked Kate up and sat her on the cashier's counter.

"Unlawful groping…" she gasped as his hands worked its way into her jeans. "We could do this the easy way or the hard way…"

"I ain't goin' down easily…" he raised his eyebrows and threw his crossbow off his shoulders before the sound of a walker hammering on the door soured the mood and Kate's stomach turned over.

"Probably just as well… don't know if I coulda looked at Rick the same way after…" Daryl said while flicking the hat off her head and Kate burst out laughing so hard tears ran down her cheeks. All at once she felt torn between happy and terrified.

Kate hopped off the counter and focused her attention on a display of birthday candles while she tried to calm down her frayed nerves. Being overcome by the walkers outside had affected her more than she wanted to admit, or believe. Maybe it was being in Alexandria that was making her soft. Or maybe it was the risk of losing Daryl, or the risk of leaving him. She suddenly felt like curling into a ball and blinked back the tears, feeling like a mad woman.

"We should go," Kate decided as she grabbed a bag and shoved in a few more toys for Judith. Daryl had gathered the supplies Rick had asked for and she took a deep breath before she drew her sword and drove it into the skull of the walker outside of the door. In a few days the quarry plan would be over and maybe then she could relax.


	47. Chapter 47

Daryl and Kate had dropped the balloons off with Rick and a few others. Kate had been thankful when the constable had insisted they didn't need any extra pairs of hands to help inflate them up and tie them to the various markers along the route of the quarry plan.

Now she sat in her kitchen feeling exhausted, nursing a cup of tea as she closed her eyes and listened to Eric detailing a party that he had put together with Deanna. They wanted to throw a get together for everyone before they had to face down the herd of dead. Even though resources were finite it didn't seem a waste to have a night of fun before they had to face such a terrifying quantity of walkers. One thing Deanna had insisted was that nobody should drink the night before, so they were going to have the party this evening. Eric insisted it should be at Nicolas' house since according to him the man had the makings of a 'party house'.

"Did you even hear what I just said?" Eric demanded sarcastically.

"Yes… party house, pool table, jukebox, bar," Kate smiled weakly and rubbed her eyes. "I'm just tired."

"Well you better get your party shoes on because it's gonna to be a doozy!"

"A doozy?" Kate giggled, _who even said that?_

"Where's Daryl anyway?"

"He's with his other lady…" Kate narrowed her eyes and smirked, "Buttons."

* * *

Daryl finished mucking out the stables and feeding the horses before he headed home. Sturgess had worked out a rota between himself, Daryl and Aaron to take turns in all the duties. Daryl and Aaron could have probably passed their share of the job off onto someone else since they did so much work outside of Alexandria but neither one wanted to give up their horses.

They had found a saddle and had slowly been reintroducing Buttons to wearing the riding equipment. She was beginning to get used to it but was still in no condition to be ridden. Cadbury was thriving on his Mama's milk, much to Daryl's satisfaction and every time he looked at the foal he thought about his grandpa and then his future with Kate. Some residents had suggested that the horses were a waste of resources but luckily for Aaron and Daryl, Deanna didn't need any convincing that they should stay and be part of the community's long term plans.

When Daryl arrived back at home he found Miss Uppity curled on the sofa fast asleep clutching a notebook and pen. He brushed the hair off her face and couldn't resist kissing the end of her nose, which caused her to stir and head-butt his chin. He jumped back and rubbed his face while she sat up and yawned, "You've been nappin' more than Judith," he teased.

"You're wearing me out Mr Dixon" Kate gave him a coy smile before she curled into a ball and asked, "make me a cup of tea?"

 _Goddamn_ , this woman had him well trained, Daryl decided as he walked into the kitchen and did as she asked happily. When he brought the hot drink to the lounge for her he settled down on the sofa and pulled her into his arms while she finished writing the notes she had started before falling asleep. "We've been invited to what Eric is calling the 'party of the year'," Kate's eyes met his and she laughed.

"Never been to so many damn parties in my life as I have since bein 'ere…" every night was some sort of gathering. 'Dinner party' was the phrase Eric and Aaron liked to use as an excuse to open the wine.

Kate drank her tea and placed the empty cup on the floor before she kissed him and whispered, "we could just stay home in bed if you'd prefer…"

Daryl grabbed her arse and pressed her even closer to him, the idea of having a woman to spend an evening in bed with would not be getting old any time soon. He ran his fingers along the curve of her back and to her neck before pulling her mouth back to his for a deeper kiss. "Why don't ya wear that little red dress…" he suggested as he kissed her neck and then pulled down the neckline of her top to bury is face and mouth into her cleavage. How he had got through his whole adult life without this woman's soft, warm curves was a mystery to him. The only possible thing that would make him not want to take up her offer of staying in bed was seeing her sashaying around in that chilli pepper red dress before he got to take her home and rip it off.

* * *

By the time night had fallen Kate was fully loaded on caffeine as she and Daryl made their way to the party. She wore the red dress, the heels and ran a curling wand through her hair. Then she enjoyed every glance and caress that Daryl bestowed on her. Before they reached Nicolas' house he stopped and pulled her into his embrace before he whispered, "you're so goddamn beautiful I'm not gonna be able to take my eyes off ya all night."

Kate melted into a puddle as he kissed her and when he pulled away her heart was beating like crazy. She played the southern belle and asked, "why Daryl Dixon… what is it about this dress that makes you so charming?"

"I dunno… maybe it's what's underneath." He ran his hands along her body and smirked, "you're enough to drive a man wild…" then he picked her off the floor ever so slightly and they kissed again as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Kate had no idea she could be so uncontrollably infatuated with a man but this redneck had lit a flame that remained everlasting no matter how much she had of him.

"Evening Duchess," Abraham snickered, making them both jump as he strolled past and Daryl released Kate from his arms with a small groan. She cleared her throat and straightened out her dress before her favourite redneck kissed her hand and they followed the army man to the festivities.

The party was in full swing by the time they arrived and Kate eyed up the canapés that were being passed around with an inward laugh. Only Eric would serve canapés at the end of the world, even if they were modest. She picked one off the tray and wolfed it down as she spotted Nicolas sitting miserably in the corner, nursing his beer. He clearly had no interest in hosting this event and she cast a sideways glance to Aaron and Eric who were passing out drinks and laughing with the guests and felt a connection to the man. This was probably exactly the sort of thing Eric was going to do to her and Daryl when he decided it was a good day for their wedding. The man was bossier than she was.

Aaron greeted Kate and Daryl while handing her a glass of what smelt like peach schnapps and him a bottle of beer. Before she knew it Eric was tapping the side of his glass with a spoon and announcing their engagement to the room. Kate's face must have matched the redness of her dress as all eyes fell on her and Daryl. She managed a huge, awkward smile and in the far back of the room she spotted Spencer downing his drink and staring a hole right through her.

Luckily, their attention from the room was short lived and Kate grabbed another canapé before following Daryl to the pool table. When it was their turn he chalked up his cue and grinned, "care to make a wager?"

Kate bit her lip and recalled the obscene amount of time she had spent playing pool in the Student Union bar. "Yes… but I warn you now, I have skill's you've never seen Mr Dixon."

Daryl laughed and took a sip of his beer, "is that right? Whatcha wanna bet then woman?"

Kate looked around the room for inspiration before Eric shouted, "his hair." Her eyes met with Daryl who ran his fingers through his shaggy main and she found herself nodding along with the suggestion gleefully.

* * *

Daryl gave Eric a small scowl, what was wrong with his damn hair? He thought about what he wanted to asked Kate to bet as he looked her up and down. She was pretty as a picture wearing that dress, holding her pool cue and accepting his challenge. What's more this beautiful woman was already his, almost. "I ain't sure what to wager… I already got everythin' I ever wanted…"

"You're so sure you'll be victorious?"

Daryl had a cocky smile as he picked up her hand and kissed her engagement ring. He was quietly confident and could only think of one thing, in fact maybe if he didn't do it now it might never happen. White dress or red he wanted Kate to be his wife more than he could possibly want anything else, "If I win… you marry me tonight." He whispered the words so no one else could hear.

Kate chocked on her drink and spluttered, "you can't wager that!" Much to the amusement of everyone around them who begged to be told what he had said.

"I can't wait for you to be Mrs Dixon," he breathed down her ear.

* * *

 _Mrs Dixon_ , the words swirled around her head and she immediately thought about Harry. If she was Mrs Dixon then she'd have to lose yet another connection to her little boy. Not that a name really mattered, the logical part of her brain knew that. But there was a little part inside of her that felt tremendous guilt. Like she shouldn't be able to move on and create a new life while her little boy remained forever six years old and three thousand miles away.

Eric jumped in-between them and despite being annoyed that he wasn't privy to the stakes he demanded, "heads or tails?"

"Tails," Daryl called and he guessed right before he gripped Kate's hand and pulled her close to him, "don't hold back darlin'." She felt like dropping the cue and running away but instead she watched in a daze as Mr Dixon made the break and potted a striped ball, followed swiftly by another.

Everyone around the pool table laughed at the idea of Kate shaving Daryl's head and tried to guess her side of the bargain. With the ideas ranging from obscene to ridiculously obscene, everyone obviously had a certain opinion about her and the mountain man that made her blush with every guess. The liquor was turning the lot of them into animals and she wondered how long the party had been going before they arrived. Kate couldn't manage more than a sip of her drink, she was so panicky as she lined up her shots and watched Daryl taking his.

Before long it was a tie and Kate's turn at the table. All she had to do was pot the black. Maybe it was the way Daryl was looking at her or the sound of Elvis crooning 'I can't help falling in love,' but she hesitated. Her hands shook and her heart thudded loudly in her ears as she held her cue in position and considered losing yet another wager to her favourite redneck or losing her name. It would be so easy to miss the shot and give in to him but she simply wasn't ready. Kate breathed out a steadying breath before potting the black with ease.

"Snip, snip," Eric shouted enthusiastically as he held out a pair of scissors which he had located while they had played.

Daryl ran his fingers through his hair and grimaced as he was directed to a seat in the kitchen and Eric handed Kate the scissors. She stared at them in disbelief and Daryl caught her eye with an equal look of disapproval. "I'm not sure this is wise..." she laughed and bit her lip. _Poor Daryl_.

"I did give Harry a haircut once but it was a bloody disaster…" the anecdote slipped out before she had a chance to realise what she was saying.

"Who's that? an old boyfriend?" Eric teased and her heart stopped.

"Maybe we should get someone who knows what they're doin'," Daryl interrupted and Kate let out a sigh of relief as Jessie took the scissors from her hand with a small smile.

When his haircut was finished Kate giggled and ran her fingers through it before deciding he looked even more handsome.

"Why do I get the feelin' I might have to throw ya over my shoulder an carry your stubborn ass to our weddin'?"

"What's the hurry?"

"Why wait?" Daryl said and Kate had no real answer to it. She knew it wasn't like the world before. Romances in the apocalypse could afford to be whirlwinds, but she wouldn't be rushed.

* * *

Spencer sat in the corner of the party avoiding Daryl and Rick. He wasn't sure who the second man was that took him that night but he was almost certain it was the town's psycho constable. He hadn't said a word to anyone about what had happened but as the days had rolled along he had found his initial fright becoming a desperate need for vengeance.

He'd overheard everyone congratulating the happy couple on their engagement and his rage had reached a fever pitch. He might not be allowed to go anywhere near Daryl's precious little bride but he knew someone who could. Spencer had no more interest in Kate now, he didn't want a woman who wouldn't be controlled. Now all he wanted was to see Daryl suffer.

Spencer beckoned Erin to follow him into the adjoining room, "I think I made a mistake before and didn't use your skills to my full advantage."

"What do you want now Spencer?"

Spencer grit his teeth and grabbed Erin's arm, how dare she talk to him like this? "A copy of that article can land on everyone's doorstep the second you cross me..."

"I did as you asked," she pleaded. "What more do you want me to do?"

"People die every day… I'm sure you can find something to slip into her drink… that's what you do, isn't it?"

* * *

The next morning Kate stood in the shower and felt like the steam was suffocating her as the sickly feeling in her stomach became overwhelming and she jumped out to throw up into the toilet.

"Ya okay?" Daryl poked his head with his new haircut around the door and she smiled weakly.

"You were right, I shouldn't have eaten those canapés last night…" She groaned and grabbed her toothbrush.

"Everyone is headin' out in 15 minutes…" Daryl wrapped a towel around her shoulders, "ya already know the plan, why don't ya stay 'ere an I'll look after ya when I get back…"

* * *

Daryl grabbed his crossbow and left Miss Uppity in bed. He didn't like to see her sick but he couldn't help but wish she was ill tomorrow instead, then she wouldn't have to be part of the quarry plan and could remain safely tucked up in Alexandria. He grabbed his bike from Aaron's garage and pushed it over to where everyone was assembling at the gate.

"Where's Kate?" Rick asked.

"She's sick," Daryl rasped and lit a cigarette as he leaned on his bike.

Glenn practically jumped in his lap like an over excited dog with a huge grin slapped across his face. "She is?" he asked excitedly.

Daryl wanted to say 'down boy' but instead he took a long drag of his smoke and shuffled away from the man as he said, "yeah… I told 'er not to eat those damn canapés." The woman never listened.

"I had the canapés … and I feel fine…" Rick raised his eyebrows with a small smile before he moved off to open the gate to start letting everyone out.

"Maggie's pregnant," Glenn whispered and Daryl dropped the cigarette out of his mouth with a loud cough as he had a small heart attack. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone yet," he continued with a grin while looking over his shoulder to make sure they were alone.

Daryl's mind was racing as he tried to climb on his bike. Everyone was leaving without him as he struggled to figure out how to get the thing started even though he'd done it countless times. _Holy fucking shit_. He didn't even want to think it.

* * *

Kate dressed and tried to ignore the sickly feeling as she meandered into Zach's room and leaned over his shoulder to watch him sketch.

"You didn't go?" Zach asked.

"Tomorrow is the main event… I thought we could work on the book today," Kate forced a smile and picked up a sketch he'd made of Rick, Judith and Carl. With each drawing he was getting even better. She ruffled his floppy hair before saying, "I'll go put the kettle on."

Kate was forlorn as she stared into the box at her last two teabags. She sighed and decided it was a sign to make tea for two, after all Zach was her very best gobshite. Hopefully Olivia would have more in the pantry somewhere. Kate didn't want to think about the day when there would be no more tea or coffee and she would have to give up caffeine forever. If they were in England, the first place she would raid would be the Yorkshire Tea factory and then she would have enough Yorkshire Gold for life.

Zach sat at the kitchen table, "are you worried about tomorrow?"

"Of course not…" there was no point placing her fears on the teenager. Kate passed him his tea and they outlined the first chapters of the record book while discussing other sketches the boy should draw.

"Eugene said I should do my own comic book," Zach grinned while holding out a drawing he had made of a superhero that looked extraordinarily like himself. He was thinking of calling him, "Captain Washington."

"He could have a sidekick… a woman about my size… brown hair…"

"History girl," he smirked and Kate grinned.

There was a knock at the door and when she opened it, there stood Erin with a plate of cookies and a small smile.

* * *

Listening to Rick going over the plan was tedious and seemed to be taking forever. All Daryl wanted to do was go home and check on Kate. He'd chewed his fingernails down to nothing as he stood worrying about Glenn's implication. Mostly he worried about Kate's reaction since she had a tendency towards the extreme. _Fuckin' hell_ , he thought as he scratched his chin and stared at the quarry of dead.

Suddenly there was a loud grinding crash as the cliff side crumbled and the truck that was blocking the entrance of the quarry began to slowly tumble from its place on the road and release the mega herd of walkers. All the breath went out of Daryl's body as he stared in shock. Seeing it actually happening was terrifying and he swallowed the bitter taste of adrenaline as his heart raced.

Daryl could sense the movement around him and in the back of his mind hear Rick shouting but he was rooted to the spot. His wish had come true. Kate was going to be safely in Alexandria as tomorrows events were unexpectedly brought forward. He couldn't help but feel panicked that they weren't ready and something would go wrong. Now he wished she was safely in the lake house, miles from the quarry and any dangers.

"We gotta do this now," Rick shouted and whether they were prepared or not, it was happening.

* * *

 **A/N** if you're still reading please leave a review :)


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N** I wanted to say thanks to everyone who takes the time to leave a comment and to everyone who has favourited and followed my story. You're support is what keeps me writing and I can't even express how much I love seeing your feedback :)

* * *

Kate stared at Erin and the cookies with raised eyebrows. Why couldn't this woman keep away?

"They're a peace offering…" Erin's voice faltered before she smoothed down the front of her cardigan and asked, "may I come in?"

Kate sighed and allowed the curly haired woman to enter. In truth she'd let go of her hatred for Erin after her fight with Spencer. She hardly needed a town full of enemies, lord knows she had enough problems to last her a lifetime.

Erin placed her cookies at the breakfast table and Zach grabbed one, shoving it into his mouth before he grabbed another and scooped up his sketch book. "See you later history girl," he smiled through his cookie filled mouth and hopped back upstairs.

Kate got them a glass of water and joined Erin at the table. The woman fiddled with her sweater, straightening it out before endlessly folding and unfolding her hands. She looked so on edge that she was making the brunette feel anxious. Neither woman said a word and the sound of the clock ticking was like a jackhammer in the awkward silence.

"You don't like cookies?" Erin muttered as she took a sip of her water.

"Why are you here?"

"I came to talk to you about… Spencer…" Erin began. Kate's interest was piqued and immediately interrupted by the sounds of an explosion that reverberated from outside. _What the hell?_

Kate almost fell off her chair as she jumped up to run outside. Over the tops of the houses she could see smoke but what made her breath catch in her throat was the man running down the street towards her. His hair was wild and he had a W carved into his forehead like something out of a horror movie. In his hand was a long machete raised above his head, ready to strike. Further along the street she could see more strangers running through their little town and she began to hear the screams of the Alexandrians.

The wild man had her in his sights and she instinctively reached for her blade, but it wasn't there. Kate stumbled backwards as her heart raced and she shouted to Erin, who was hovering in the doorway, to "get inside."

Kate fell into the house and watched Erin fleeing upstairs as she began to close the door. The wild man was already there, leaning his weight against hers and jamming his foot through the opening as she struggled. He was far more powerful and Kate tumbled forward as the wild man forced his way into her house. He snarled like an animal as he lifted his dirty machete to cut her down.

Kate dodged the edge of the blade and picked up a stool from the breakfast bar which she held in front of her like a lion tamer. Fuck… Fuck… fuck! Her mind was racing as fast as her heart. The man grabbed the edge of the stool and she put all of her weight into it, pushing onto him and causing him to fall. Kate used the opportunity to run towards the stairs but the wild man gained on her quickly. His tight grip wrapped around her calf and swept her off her feet. She toppled down the steps she had climbed and he hacked his blade at her head.

The sound of wood splintering as the machete struck the step next to her skull sent a shiver of pure terror down Kate's spine. The wild man pinned her down with one hand around her throat as he yanked his blade from where it had lodged. As she struggled against him her eyes locked with his in silent scrutiny. The man looked possessed in a way she had never seen in another living human, like he had forsaken every part of his conscience. There was no fear or doubt, not even some sick pleasure from killing.

The wild man freed his blade and began to drive it down towards her as she clutched his arm and tried to push him away. The fingers that were wrapped around her throat were making her dizzy and black fuzzy spots began to cloud her vision as a sharp sting of pain made her thrash her legs and arms with even more force. After every fight, everything she had overcome, this was it. She clenched her teeth and pushed his arm with all her might. This couldn't be it.

Kate heard a commotion behind her and the look on the wild man's face changed. Maybe he did feel fear. Or was it Surprise? Like the start of her fight with the stranger the end was over just as quick. The tip of Kate's medieval sword sank like butter into his throat and blood began to gush out like the bursting of a damn. It wasn't sickening or frightening to her, it was like a warm blanket as a wave of calm settled across her body as his fingers released their grip on her throat and she sucked in the air heartily.

"Are you okay?" Zach stuttered. Kate pushed the wild man's body away from her as she nodded absently.

When she stood up she pulled Zach into her arms and held him tight, "thank god," then Kate kissed his cheek, "thank god you were here."

Erin stood at the top of the stairs with her red rimmed eyes, clutching fistfuls of her cardigan and shaking. "Go hide," Kate told her before she looked at Zach. "I need to get to the armoury," she took the sword from his hand and paused for a moment to steady hear breathing and calm her nerves but the sounds of gunfire that were coming from all around outside made it impossible for her to regain much composure.

"I'm coming with you," Zach pried the machete out of the dead man's hand and sank it into his skull without hesitation.

* * *

Rick had come over the radio to say that there was gunfire coming from Alexandria and half of the walker herd had broken off, heading towards their sanctuary. The news had been like a punch in Daryl's stomach. As he passed an old advertising sign for the little town, he thought about Kate and her big brown eyes, soft skin and smart mouth. _Goddamnit_ , that crazy woman was everything to him.

Daryl had to go home. He had to make sure Miss Uppity was okay. If something happened to her, he wasn't sure he could survive it. He thought about all the years he had spent alone and drifting. He'd been as good as dead. Meeting Kate had made his heart beat to a tune he could have never even contemplated before. She made him want to be a better man and he liked to think that he was. With her he was so far removed from the man he'd been as Merle's little brother that he wasn't even sure if they would even recognise each other.

Daryl parted ways from Sasha and Abraham. He believed they could take care of this herd on their own and maybe he was being selfish but there was nothing more important to him than Kate. Saving the whole world would be meaningless if she wasn't in it. He had to go home.

* * *

Kate led the way to the armoury with her sword as Zach limped behind. They snuck around the back of the buildings and successfully avoided the maniacs that were ravaging Alexandria. From the looks of things the invaders were only armed knives and melee weapons so the guns in the armoury would make light work of them.

With the stairway leading to Alexandria's cache of weapons in sight they hid behind a bush as three of the invaders ran past. Kate's heart was in her throat and she wondered if Daryl and the others could hear the gunfire from the dry run.

"Let's go…" Kate whispered and gestured for Zach to run first. She followed close behind as they made a dash across the street and to the armoury. They shared a smile of relief as he ran down the steps and grabbed the door. Kate watched the street and back down the steps slowly.

A single gunshot rang out followed by the all too familiar thud of a body slumping to the ground. Kate felt like all the air had left her lungs. For a moment that seemed to stretch forever she couldn't bring herself to turn around. Her eyes and mind didn't want to witness whatever she was going to see. But she had no choice.

Kate felt the bile rise in her throat as she put one unsteady foot in front of the other and saw Zach lying on the ground. He looked so white, like all the blood had drained out of his face and as her eyes roved over his body she saw the blood pooling out between his fingers as he held his stomach.

Kate could hear the sound of her own shuddery breathing and her mind drifted to the blueness of the sky then back to the redness of the blood. Everything was in glorious Technicolor, red had never looked as vivid as it did now.

"I'm sorry," Olivia's voice called out with a shrillness that snapped Kate from her trance and her eyes found Zach's.

"You'll be okay… it's gonna be okay…" Kate declared as her sword dropped with a clatter to the floor. She fell down and pulled off her shirt to hold onto the wound.

"I'm glad I got a chance… to save your ass back there…" Zach panted.

Kate forced out a nervous laugh, "Daryl will love that."

"When you get married…" Zach scrunched his face in pain at the pressure she was putting on his wound. Between ragged breaths he told her, "you can call one of your babies… Zach… remember… I wanna be immortalised…"

"Don't say things like that…" Kate shook her head and stared at the blood soaked shirt in her hands. "You're the only Zach… who's going to write that comic? That's what will make you immortal…" Tears were pricking painfully at her eyes but she didn't want him to see her cry, "I'll fix it… just like before…" she whispered, and she almost believed it.

The teenager put his hand over hers and grit his teeth in a forced a smile, "not this time history girl."

Zach was too young for this. Kate felt like she was in some sort of nightmare. How could he be lying here right now? There were so many unspoken words between them, "I had a little boy… before all of this… you remind me of him…" Kate ran her fingers through his floppy hair and pressed her lips to his forehead. "I won't let you go… I can't…"

Zach's eyes were becoming heavier and Kate kissed his cheek as her tears tumbled from her eyes in thick waves, "do you hear me? I said you can't go… because… I love you."

The teenagers sharp pained breathing began to slow to stillness as his hand slipped from Kate's. "Zach?" her throat was thick and she trembled. "Zach… please…" she begged repeatedly. But there was nothing. Just like that. Zach was gone.

Kate looked at the blood that was covering her arms, legs and hands. Her engagement ring that had sparkled so shiny this morning was now dull and thick with red. Her stomach began to turn over and she scrambled away from Zach's body to vomit an ugly pile at the bottom of the steps. She ran her bloody fingers through her hair and her legs could barely support her weight as she doubled over and threw up again.

"Carol told me to shoot anyone who came through the door," Olivia stuttered from behind her and Kate stood up straight while wiping her mouth on her shoulder.

The sight of Olivia's blubbering made Kate's palm twitch and she grit her teeth as she closed the gap between them. With all her strength she backhanded Olivia across the face. The power of the strike sent shockwaves along her arm and the woman's glasses flew from her face with a gentle smash.

"You fucking… useless… bitch," Kate sobbed before giving in to the numb feeling in her body and falling to her knees. "You killed him… you killed him," she shrieked and crawled back to Zach's body, cradling him and stroking his hair.

* * *

"Going back would be for us," Rick had said and Daryl felt torn. He recalled the amount of times Kate had said she could take care of herself then thought about Abraham and Sasha. If they failed in their mission, it would lead the entire herd back to Alexandria.

Daryl stopped his motorcycle and tried to make his decision. He couldn't stop thinking about Hershel and Beth and those nice few months spent at the prison. "We've all got jobs to do," the words resonated as he started his bike again.

Kate wasn't a damsel in distress. She wouldn't want rescuing if it meant sacrificing the mission. He was in a catch 22. If he saved her and the worst happened with Sasha and Abraham then Kate would probably never look at him the same way again. But if he stayed on mission and something happened to Kate… "Fuck," he said out loud to himself and the universe. Why did the only good thing that ever happened to him have to happen at the end of the damn world?

* * *

Kate didn't know how long she had spent holding Zach and memorising his face. She hadn't even noticed the group of people waiting for her on the flight of stairs that led down to the armoury but eventually Aaron crouched down beside her and whispered, "it's time." She looked behind her and her eyes rested on Eric and Eugene, but there was no Daryl.

Aaron had a crisp white sheet in one hand and a blade in the other, the sunlight glistened off the edge of it and the realisation of its purpose was like a vice around her heart. With heavy hands they wrapped Zach's body and carried him up the stairs and to Alexandria's overpopulated graveyard.

There was already a space prepared and Kate's heart plummeted as she saw the cold and dark hole where she was supposed to place Zach. Her eyes drifted up to the sky once more. It was so beautifully bright and blue except for a single cloud that floated, undisturbed, through the emptiness. How could she put Zach into the dark when it was such a beautiful day?

"I can't do it…" Kate decided as she looked at Aaron. Panic began to grip her and she thought she might be sick again. As she eased Zach down on the grass Eric and Aaron kept him upright, "will you fucking put him down?" She shrieked and they did as she asked laying him down in the sunlight.

Kate uncovered his face from the cloth and stared at him again. She had no photographs of Zach and though she had only known the boy for a few months it had felt like a lifetime. She had entrusted him into her care but she had let him down. All she could think was, what if one day she couldn't even remember his face?

"I know it's painful… but you have to let him go…" Eric whispered.

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard," Kate recalled the line from Winnie the Pooh, which had broken her heart once before.

* * *

 **A/N** This was a sad chapter to write! :( Poor Zach, but I wanted to stay true to the walking dead. Nobody is safe...


	49. Chapter 49

The sound of a thousand walkers hummed around the walls of Alexandria as Kate clutched her sword and made her way to the front entrance. She threw back the chainmail screen of the inner gate to expose the horde of dead that were clawing at Alexandria's door. She took a step back to stare at countless pairs of undead eyes. Her fingers brushed the hilt of her sword, releasing it from its place by her side with a beautiful melody that made her body relax and all thoughts fluttered from her mind like dandelion seeds catching in the wind.

Mindlessly stabbing walkers from the safety of a fence no longer seemed as repellent as it once had. She relished every blow and the sight of the bodies falling at her feet. The knowledge that it was one less to worry about appeased her in a way she was almost sure nothing else would. She wanted to kill them all and rid the world of the plague that was festering along every street and in every corner.

A hand gripped Kate's shoulder, pulling her away from the slaughter. "You're scaring folk," Rick whispered before he closed the screen. His eyes cast a long look around the town behind her but she didn't care. These people needed to be scared. They needed to learn how to fight. In fact, why was no one fighting or doing anything anyway?

"We can't just leave them out there… haven't you fucking learned anything by now?"

Rick clenched his jaw, "Daryl, Sasha, Abraham, Glenn, they'll be back and they'll lead them away. I wanna play it safe."

"Safe for you! Safe for these people! But not safe for them…" Kate's voice was raised to the point of hysterical as she pointed outside of the walls to where their missing friends were.

"You know Daryl, he'll be back and he'll know what to do. He'll do it right. There's not many people I'd trust with that."

Kate closed her eyes and held in the tears and the words that wanted to pour out of her. Rick didn't know that the others would return. He only hoped they would.

"He'll come back for you," Rick said softly as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"It's not his choice," Kate whispered as her eyes met the constables. Her thoughts returned to Zach and dullness spread over her limbs as she sheaved her sword and slouched into her own arms.

"Daryl wouldn't want to see you like this," Carol said as appeared from behind Rick, cocking her head to the side while she looked Kate up and down. She could feel the stickiness of her blood stained clothes but it hardly seemed to matter anymore. Carols hand slipped into Kate's and with a gentle pull she walked her home.

Kate stepped through her front door and her eyes immediately rested on the bottom of the staircase. The body of the wild man and all the blood was gone, as if it had never happened. Kate felt the tender skin at her throat and she knew it had. Her eyes wandered to the kitchen where she had shared a final cup of tea with Zach only hours before. Now, Eugene was sitting there with the plateful of cookies and Erin who was stroking soothing lines along his back while they talked in hushed tones.

Carol pulled her upstairs, into the bathroom where she turned on the shower, "I'll give you some privacy."

The bathroom door clicked shut and Kate stared absently at Daryl's razor which was sitting next to the sink where he had left it this morning and she wondered how Zach had left his room. When you put down a book your reading or a pen or a comic book you're drawing, you never expect that you won't be picking it back up again.

The breath caught in Kate's throat as she glanced up to the mirror. The sight of the image staring back at her through the thin veil of steam made her recoil. Was that really her? She was hideous, her face, her hair, her everything was matted in blood. She needed to get it off her. Kate pulled at her clothes furiously. She couldn't bare the idea of having Zach's blood on her like this.

Kate fell into the shower and leaned her hands on the tiles as she closed her eyes to the swirls of red which were floating down the plug hole. Ignoring the thoughts that were torturing her mind was impossible. The tight pain in her chest began to work free as tears began to flow without restraint until she was sitting in the corner of the shower and feeling hollow.

"Kate…" Carols voice was gentle as she knocked on the door and Kate couldn't answer her even if she wanted to. "I'm coming in…" she said a little louder and the door opened slowly as the woman stepped in, turned off the shower and wrapped Kate in a towel before easing her off the floor and onto the bed.

Kate stared at her feet while Carol patted her hair down with another towel. "A lot of people died today…"

Kate opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Alexandria was home and it had been brutalised. She hadn't just lost Zach. Their little town had been tarnished. Carol picked up the hairbrush off the dressing table and ran her fingers over the bristles before she sat behind Kate and began to comb through the endless tangles in the brunettes hair.

"I thought I was faking it with these people… that it was us and them… but I saw Shelly…" as Carol spoke Kate turned to look at her and saw the glaze of tears covering her eyes. She'd never seen Carol looking so vulnerable, she didn't even think the woman had a soft side in her anymore, but there it was.

Kate wrapped her arms around the other woman and they held each other in a long comfortable silence as Kate stared at Daryl's shirt which was still tangled with her red dress in the exact position they had left them last night. The sky was dark now and he still wasn't back.

"I'm worried about Daryl… I think I fucked things up."

"Why?"

"He wanted us to get married last night but I couldn't let go. I always hold back… I think I fell in love with him the first time we ever kissed and I just… I wasted time. What if he doesn't come back?"

"He'll be back, I'm sure of it," Carol smiled and stoked Kate's face. "You get dressed. I need to talk to Rick about Morgan."

Kate picked Daryl's shirt off the floor and breathed in the musky smell that made her heart ache for him even more than it already was. More than ever Kate felt like she needed the safety of his arms wrapped around her. Kate thought about all the times he had wanted to rescue her and now he was lost when she needed him the most.

She pulled on Daryl's shirt and a pair of jeans before she tip toed down the stairs. Kate could hear Aaron and Eric's voices in the kitchen but she couldn't bare the idea of talking to anyone so she snuck outside and let her subconscious guide her to Zach. She knelt at the soft mound of dirt, squeezing a dirt clod in her hand before she began gently smoothing over the edges. "Zach," Kate spoke in less than a whisper. "I know you can't hear me but… I'm sorry."

* * *

Spencer hadn't planned on running into Kate but seeing her sitting on the ground all alone made him pleased that he had. The warm feeling of the scotch coursing through his veins had put him in high spirits despite the imminent death that was looming over Alexandria. He enjoyed the curve of Kate's body and was suddenly glad that Erin hadn't followed through with the plan yet.

"Good evening Ms Ashwood," Spencer purred before he swallowed another mouthful of his scotch. Kate's head whipped around to look at him and he strutted over to sit beside her. She drew back from him and he grit his teeth as he grabbed her forearm, "not so fast."

Kate tried to pull her arm away from him but Spencer tightened his grip, "come on… talk a while," he nodded towards the grave with a small smile, "you won't get much conversation from him."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she shouted, the look of disgust on her face made him snort.

"Forgive me..." Spencer bowed his head and held on even tighter to her arm. Even if she was a bitch she was still nice to look at. Spencer was used to beautiful women throwing themselves at his feet. Why wouldn't they? He was rich, handsome, and powerful. The perfect catch. But Kate looked repulsed, like he was a bug that needed squashing which made him seethe. Who the fuck did this woman think she was?

"Leave me alone!" Kate kicked him and he let go of her momentarily before grabbing her tightly once more. He wasn't finished with her yet.

"Why can't you leave me alone? Why can't you leave Erin alone?"

"She told you?" Spencer's nostrils flared as he threw Kate down and drank back another mouthful of his scotch to sooth him.

Kate began to scramble away and Spencer panicked. He didn't want her to leave, "she's a killer…"

Kate stopped moving and her eyes met his. He'd got her attention now and if there was anything he liked, it was attention. He used to spend his evenings at parties, surround by his friends and adoration. Now he had nothing to do but sit in the watch tower, be with his parents or in his shitty little apartment. At night he would sit there and stare out of the window at Kate's pretty little house. One night he even saw her fucking that dirty redneck while Spencer sat in his apartment alone and undesired. He had known in that moment, that he couldn't let them win, he couldn't let Daryl Dixon have the last laugh.

"I recognised her picture in the paper…" Spencer continued his story as he recalled the happy day he had found the article. "She was on trial for murder when the entire world went to hell."

Spencer stood up and paced towards the wall before he looked back at Kate, he was enjoying the theatrics of his storytelling now. "She convinced some degenerate employee to add an extra ingredient to her husband's ridiculously priced scotch…" he stared at the drink in his hand with a dark chuckle.

"That day he celebrated some big win in the office with three of his colleagues… you wanna hear the kicker?" he grinned his million dollar smile. "He never served the good stuff to anyone but himself and Erin's stupid little degenerate didn't know the difference between a 300 dollar bottle and a 30 dollar one," Spencer laughed out loud. "She killed 4 people that day and none of them her husband."

"That's terrible," Kate clutched her shirt collar and her brow furrowed.

"They'd be dead anyway, just like Zach, just like we're going to be," he leaned his head on the wall and the moans of the dead filled his ears. "Your… _fiancé_ … should have been back hours ago…"

Spencer relished the idea of Daryl lying torn apart somewhere as he kneeled down next to Kate, "I'd say he's dead too…" He grabbed her chin and pulled her face close to his, "you're all alone."

Kate yanked her face from his hand and Spencer sat back on his heel with a satisfied laugh before he felt her fist connecting with his nose.

"Fuck," he growled as his hand reached for his face. "You fucking bitch!"

* * *

Spencer's hands wrapped around Kate's shoulders as he slammed her head into the ground. The world faded black and then her eyes fluttered open to see Spencer's scrunched up face hovering over her as he dug his fingers into her hair and yanked her head back. She lashed out wildly scraping her nails across his face as they struggled against each other. Then his head wilted and he fell down to the sharp twang of metal.

Kate pushed his slumped body away from her as her eyes met with Erin's and then the shovel she had used to hit Spencer with. "Is he dead?" Erin asked.

Kate's hand shook as her fingers found the pulse in his neck still beating. He wasn't dead but he was out cold.

"I followed you… I've been waiting… wanting… to talk to you all day…"

"About the people you killed?"

"This morning I came to tell you everything… I swear," she clutched the shovel to her chest. "Spencer wanted me to poison you... I couldn't do that." Erin was sobbing as she continued, "stealing supplies… coming in between you and Daryl… they were worth the price of my secret…"

"Poison me?" Kate looked at Spencer lying helpless on the ground while her hand touched the tender spot on her head where he had pushed her down.

"He said I had to do it or everyone would find out about me."

"Why didn't you just tell Deanna the truth in the beginning?"

"Spencer told me he'd make sure she would exile me… I saw her do it to some other people and I couldn't risk being sent outside of these walls… I know what I did was wrong but I didn't mean to… you didn't know my husband, he was a bad man-"

"I can't think about this right now," Kate's eyes remained locked on Spencer while a million thoughts ran through her mind. _Shit, this man was a serious threat_. Even after Daryl warning him away he was relentless. Maybe even crazy. Kate couldn't stop thinking, _what if his plan had worked? What if he had poisoned her? Or Daryl? Or someone else by mistake?_

Erin started sniffling even louder as she raised the shovel and began to bring it down on Spencer's head. Kate caught the pole in time to stop her but the force of it cracked hard against her arm and she doubled over as she bit back the scream of pain. "Hitting him will be too messy…" Kate determined unenthusiastically as she looked from Spencer to Erin. Keeping him alive would be messy too.

"Help me move him," Kate whispered and the two women grabbed hold of Spencer's arms to pull him through the shadows to the abandoned lookout platform on the west wall. Kate was trembling with every step as she questioned her decision.

Pulling Spencer's body up to the platform took everything they had and Kate breathed heavily as she looked over the wall at the throng of dead. Erin's gentle sobs made the ordeal even more unbearable and Kate told her, "you can leave."

"I have to do this."

Kate's eyes swept down to Spencer. In truth she wasn't trying to save Erin from the horror of what she was about to do to Spencer, she was trying to save herself from having someone witness the darkest levels of what she was capable of. Every fibre in her body told her that this was wrong.

In the back of her mind she kept thinking of Deanna. This was her son and the knowledge of that was weighing heavily on Kate's conscience. But this was the end of the world and Spencer had more than used up his second chances. There were no restraining orders, prison sentences or another town she could move to. All it took was her picturing Spencer hurting Daryl and she knew she could do the unthinkable. This was the only way she could ensure her group remained safe.

"It'll look like he fell." Kate's heart pounded heavily as she kneeled down with Erin to ease Spencer over the lip of the platform. He started to stir and the women shared a look of doubt but they didn't stop.

Spencer fell from the safety of Alexandria with a sickening thud and a hundred bloodthirsty heads turned their sights towards him as he was quickly blanketed by the dead.

"What now?" Erin stammered.

"Nothing. You can't say anything. He's gone… Deanna doesn't need to know the reasons why. She doesn't need to know that her son… what he was capable of."

"What about my past?"

"You have to live with it… this world is punishment enough… you answer to your conscience and I'll answer to mine."


	50. Chapter 50

Kate spent the night in Zach's room surrounded by his sketches. She'd poured over them again and again, examining every stroke and line until sleep had claimed her. Now morning was breaking brightly through the window, waking her up to the nightmares. Her fingers brushed the bruises on her arm, neck and head with a groan.

Kate picked up the well-worn copy of The Hobbit from Zach's side table and flicked through the pages. The house stood in stillness. She'd asked everyone to leave but even if they had stayed, the house would still have been empty. She flicked back to the first page and let Tolkien lead her down the hobbit hole as she shut out the passage of time which seemed to move so slowly.

* * *

Daryl woke up with a gun in his face while memories of yesterday and last night started to race around his mind. With Sasha and Abraham he'd managed to lure half of the walker herd away from Alexandria but on their way home they had been attacked by strangers. The position of the sun through the trees made him realise that he must have been out cold all night. A whole night away from Kate and he had no idea what had happened to her.

"Get up," the man said and Daryl did as he was asked as he studied the three people who had captured him. If they wanted to kill him they could have done it by now.

As Daryl followed the man and two women through the charred forest he looked for chances to escape while he listened to their conversation. He realised that these people were running away from some other group and they seemed to think he was a part of it. They were scared and maybe he could use that to his advantage.

"My name's Daryl…" he caught the eye of the blonde woman as she turned to look at him.

"I don't care what your name is! Keep quiet and keep moving..." the man said as he pointed the gun in Daryl's face once more.

"I ain't wantin' to cause you people any trouble… I just wanna get home… I ain't who you think I am an I have a… family…" Kate and Zach, Carol and Rick, all of the people he had been fighting alongside were his family. But especially Kate and especially if what Glenn had suggested was true. Daryl felt a flutter of something in his chest and he could hardly breathe.

"Dwight," the blonde girl said softly as she looked at Daryl. He smiled while he tried to keep his shit together but he was having an even bigger panic attack at the thought of not getting home.

"He'd say anything," Dwight insisted before pushing Daryl to keep him moving. If they wouldn't let him go he would just have to bide his time until an opportunity arose to get away.

While Daryl walked along the blackened forest the brunette woman told the blonde about how she and Dwight had burned the forest to kill the local walkers. Daryl was impressed and he recalled the way Rick had punched Aaron in the face when they had first met. He wondered if he should invite these people back to Alexandria. Daryl could hardly blame them for tying him up. They didn't seem like bad people, the way they talked to each other, looked out for each other. It could be anyone from his group in this situation. They were just scared and desperate. He had to convince them that they could trust him.

"I'm from a community… women, children… we got a doctor, a preacher, police, an our own congresswoman…" He saw that the women were softening as they looked at each other. Daryl knew that places like Alexandria were like finding a goldmine. "We even got hot runnin' water…"

"Bullshit!" said Dwight.

"What if it's the truth?" asked the brunette.

"We'll make it on our own Sherry. Even if he's not one of Negan's men, we still can't trust him."

Dwight was a problem but the women seemed more understanding. "I'm gettin' married…" Daryl said and the words felt so strangely foreign to his mouth that he could barely spit them out. "Her name's Kate… she's a damn firecracker, an' I promised her I'd come home."

Daryl made a slow methodical movement to his pocket to retrieve the folded up piece of paper. It was awkward with his bound hands but eventually he managed. He unfolded the picture Zach had sketched for him and smiled before sighing and worrying that he might never see her again. "We have a kid that lives with us… he drew this-"

Dwight snatched the paper from his hands and the two women looked at it over his shoulder, "whys she got a sword to your throat?" asked Sherry.

"Didn't I say she was a firecracker?" Daryl laughed nervously. It probably wasn't the most intimate of pictures but it was all he had.

"I don't remember any woman with a sword… and look at the background…" the blonde woman began.

"Tina's right… if there was someone who could sketch like this then Negan would probably have posters of himself all over the camp," Sherry said the last part bitterly. Daryl started to wonder who the hell this Negan was.

"Alright!" Dwight took several steps away from Daryl ushering the women with him where they spoke in whispers. When he returned he shoved the picture back in Daryl's pocket, "come with us to find Patty and we'll take you back to your people, but we want to scope it out first."

"Can't work like that, two of my people are waitin' for me in the town…the men who I think were lookin' for ya'll shot at us, split us up…"

"If that's true then they'll be long gone now," Dwight said.

"They'll be there," Daryl grunted and his three new acquaintances all looked at each other with indecision. "Look ya'll either trust me or you don't, I just wanna get home."

Sherry took a knife from Dwight and cut the ties at Daryl's wrist as she said "you can help us or you can run."

Daryl considered both options before deciding to stay. No matter how much he wanted to run home to Kate he didn't like the idea of abandoning these people. He rubbed the tender skin at his wrists and followed the trio to 'Pattrick Fuel Company.'

"She's not here," said Dwight.

"What ya'll lookin' for anyway?" asked Daryl.

Before anyone could answer Tina collapsed to the ground. Dwight threw the big bag he was carrying down , pulling out Daryl's crossbow and then a medical cooler. They gave the woman a shot of insulin while Daryl crept towards his crossbow and claimed it back from the man. If they were going to be coming home with him then they couldn't be stealing his shit.

"Like I said we have a doctor, houses… she'll be safer comin' with me but we gotta go now, I ain't waitin' 'round." He had enough of following these three like a damned headless chicken. He knew Abraham and Sahsa would wait for him but he didn't know for how long and as every second ticked by he became even more desperate to see Kate.

"Where?" Tina asked as she started to recover.

"We'll head back the way we came." All they had to do was retrace their steps.

* * *

Ignoring the question that kept forcing itself to the forefront of her mind was impossible. _Where was Daryl?_ She threw down The Hobbit and paced towards the window to look out once more. Rick had told her to "wait." But waiting for him was making her restless and the guilt over Zach and Spencer's death was making her crazy. She grabbed her sword and fastened it around her waist as she ran down the stairs.

Kate took a deep breath as she opened the front door and stepped outside. The fresh air filled her lungs while the sun warmed her face and for a split second it was a normal day. Then the feelings of guilt and worry began to choke her again as she gripped her sword and began to walk. Where she was going she wasn't sure but sitting around was unbearable. She needed to do _something_. She couldn't wait and hide in her house, no matter how much part of her wanted to.

She passed Jessie and then Tobin. Every time Kate caught someone's eye her stomach flipped over. She was paranoid that she had been spotted last night or that someone would just 'know'. Like 'I murdered Spencer' was written across her face. She spotted Deanna in the distance talking to Rick and fell back in the cover of a nearby house as her heart thudded painfully.

 _You had no choice_ , Kate told herself repeatedly as she stood up straight and tried to at least pretend she was composed. She walked back out onto the street and towards the platform where she had executed Spencer. She forced herself up the ladder then forced her eyes to look over the wall. There was nothing there. Spencer was gone. She stared at the sea of walkers and felt once more like a terrible person.

When Daryl came home she wasn't sure she deserved him, or to be happy. Harry, Ryan, Zach, Louis, Spencer, Pete, Ron, Sam, Deanna, Reg. The list of regrets was ever growing.

Kate rubbed the headache at her temples and felt exhausted as she stared blankly into the distance. Worse than facing Daryl after the terrible things that had happened was the idea that Daryl wasn't coming home. What if she was just waiting here for a man that would never return? Kate felt nauseous and sank to her knees as her heart raced. _He should have been back by now._

She couldn't stay here. Kate had to get out of Alexandria.

* * *

Daryl found the spot where he had hidden his bike and now Dwight was helping him push it back towards town as the two women followed. He spotted the overcooked walker that he had lay down next to yesterday after he had fallen from his bike. Even though it was burnt down to practically nothing its head was still turning in anticipation towards them. There was something about the fact that it was wearing a motorcycle helmet that made him want to put the thing out of its misery.

With barely any force Daryl pulled at the helmet and ripped the walker's entire head from its body to the sound of a sickening pop. He held it in his hands with a grimace before he caught the horrified look on Tina's face. "Ain't right… leavin' it like this…" he nodded to the head before he crushed it down on a jagged tree stump like he was breaking open a coconut. Not that Daryl had ever had a coconut, but he'd seen it on an adventure movie he watched as a kid.

Sherry found a metal sign in the dirt and held it up, 'Pattrick'. "Do you think Patty could be around here?" they all scanned the tree line before spotting the missing truck which was buried in vines and leaves.

Daryl and Dwight cleared the branches then killed the walker who was in the trucks cabin. Patty's engine started first time and the women cheered while Daryl felt relieved. They could get back home even faster now.

"Get back," Dwight shouted as he aimed his handgun at Daryl's face. The redneck didn't have time to pull out his crossbow so he just raised his hands and tried to keep the situation calm.

"What are you doing?" Tina grabbed Dwight's arm.

"We have the truck, we don't need him now."

"What about his group? They have a Doctor," Sherry looked between the two men and then at Tina while Daryl started to regret his decision to help these people.

He'd thought convincing Kate to come home with him when he had first met her was bad enough. At least she'd only held him at gun point the one time. His fingers touched the outside of the pocket which contained the folded up piece of paper.

* * *

Kate made her way to the armoury. She hated the idea of seeing Olivia, but it was seeing the place where Zach had taken his final breaths that filled her with dread. She stood across the street from the steps that lead to the weapons. In the exact same spot she had hid from the wolves with Zach yesterday. _Was it only yesterday that they had stood there?_ "Just go," Kate whispered to herself. It was like ripping off a plaster, she had to do it hard and fast. She swallowed the lump in her throat before running down the stairs two at a time, barely looking at anything for more than a moment.

Olivia stood just inside the doorway clutching her clipboard with her broken glasses resting on her nose and a look of fright on her face.

"Stay out of my fucking sight," Kate hissed and clenched her fists as she watched the woman hurry away. Kate may have been a killer but at least she had never killed someone because she was utterly incompetent. She'd never killed an innocent boy like Zach. She half drew her sword and almost followed Olivia to wherever she had scurried off to before she thought better of it and headed for the weapons.

Kate grabbed an assault rifle which she recognised and picked up a round of ammunition, checking that it fit into the chamber. When she was sure she had the right ammunition she picked up a box and ran home as quickly as her legs could carry her. She didn't want to see anyone or talk to anyone. She just wanted to get away.

Kate ran up the stairs to Zach's bedroom and found the empty backpack on the back of the door before she noticed the sketch of 'Captain Washington' which had fallen under the bed. She kneeled down and reached across the dusty floor to rescue the piece of paper. A soft laugh escaped Kate's lips as she ran her fingers over the likeness of the teenager. She considered taking it with her but didn't want it to get ruined. She put the drawing on Zach's desk, next to his pencils and a half empty mug of cold coffee.

Kate filled the backpack with a bottle of water, her pictures of Harry and the box of ammo before she threw it on her shoulders. Then she walked to the bookshelf in her lounge and scooped up and armful of books along with the box of matches from the top of the fireplace before she returned to the platform where she had killed Spencer.

"What are you doing?" Erin asked as Kate was climbing up the ladder with the last of her books.

Kate sighed and tried to ignore the other woman as she began to tear the books in half down the spine. The sound of the paper ripping made her flinch. There was something awful about destroying books.

Erin climbed up after her and started to help tear the books while asking, "what are we doing this for?"

Kate snatched the book out of her hand, "we're not doing anything… you and me… this is not a _thing_ … go home…"

"I can't… I can't stop thinking about what we did. I saw Deanna and I was almost sick."

Kate stared at Erin for a heartbeat before opening the box of matches and lighting the first book. She wasn't sure what Erin expected her to do or say. Kate was hardly the expert in handling emotions. Suppression and anger were her default settings. She either wanted to hit something or keep running until she forgot why she was running in the first place.

She lit the books one by one, throwing some left and some right. The flames caught the eyes of the walkers and the sea of bodies began to part. Then she began to throw her burning books even further away to make as wide a gap as possible.

"What are you doing?" Erin asked again.

"I'm leaving."

"No," Erin shrieked as she grabbed Kate's arm. "You have to stay!"

"I can't!" Kate pulled away from Erin. The books were all used up and it was time to go. She swung one leg over the wall before she had a chance to change her mind and slid down one of the support struts. The friction from the metal had burned at her hand but she landed on the ground with more ease than she had anticipated. There was no time to wait around and no turning back as the dead began to turn their hungry gaze towards her.

Kate drew her sword and sliced through the two nearest walkers as she began to run. The sounds of Erin's cries and calls for Kate to "come back," faded as she left Alexandria far behind.

* * *

 **A/N** Thank you to everyone who is still reading and who has favourited my story and big thanks to my reviewers. Especially  jeanf and galwidanatitud, I look forward to your feedback every time I post, I swear you guys keep me going back to the keyboard :)


	51. Chapter 51

Kate ran flat out until her legs felt like jelly and the taste of blood at the back of her throat was choking her. Any plan she had, started and finished with the compulsion to get out of Alexandria. She leaned on a tree, pulled the bottle of water from her backpack and caught her breath. _Now what?_

A squirrel ran across the road directly in front of her before it scurried up a tree and Kate's eyes fell to the ring on her finger before she looked towards the quarry where the line of cars sat waiting. She knew the route that Daryl, Abraham and Sasha were supposed to be driving back after they had taken the walkers 20 miles away. Maybe she could find him. _Would that be so crazy?_

A female walker crept out from behind the squirrel's tree. Kate stared at the walker's awkward shuffle while she screwed the lid back on her bottle and put it in the backpack as if she had all the time in the world. Then she rolled her shoulders, drew her sword and cut the woman down. There was a strange therapy to being out here alone like this, slaying the dead and searching for Daryl. If nothing else, it gave her little room to think about anything much and Kate was the master of overthinking things if she was left to her own devices.

* * *

Daryl's trio of new _friends_ had left him high and dry. He still had his bike and for that he was grateful but they had taken his crossbow and drove off into the _fucking sunset_. Daryl was pissed off. He felt so goddamn stupid and was dreading the idea of squaring away his failure with Miss Uppity. He couldn't stand the thought of her thinking he was vulnerable, or that he couldn't take care of her properly. It would be better to say he'd lost it instead of admitting some skinny fucker stole it and made a damn fool out of him.

Daryl pictured the look Merle would give him if he was still here but then he remembered a time when he was six. Daryl had a brand new toy bow and arrow set that his Grandma had bought for him when he visited her with his Mama. He loved that thing and if he lined it up right he could fire the arrow all the way across the yard, which had seemed a good distance to a six year old. One of the neighbour's kids, who was bigger and meaner, had stolen it off Daryl. When Merle found out he had smacked that bully so hard in his face that Daryl could still remember the sound of his nose cracking. Then Merle passed the bow back to little Daryl with a smile, "I'll look out for ya baby brother… nobody fucks with us." Merle was never usually so damn nice.

Now, Daryl was back in town and looking for signs of Abraham and Sasha. He spotted a small, deliberate boot print in some mud. It had to be Sasha. He followed the direction it was pointing before he spotted his name When he got to the road he climbed on his bike and rode into town. spotted written on the side of a building. His eyes swept up the building and standing in the upstairs window were his missing friends. He waved to them and they started to make their way outside.

"We need a vehicle," Sasha said when they emerged from the building.

"I know where we can find a good one," Abraham nodded his head towards a bridge. But Daryl could barely hear what they were saying since he was too busy looking at the kick ass rocket launcher strapped to the army man's shoulder.

"Ya got rounds for that thing?"

"Yes siree," Abraham did a big belly laugh while he held up the huge black case in his hand. Daryl gave an appreciative smile, he sure would like a turn shooting that thing. Firing one of those rockets into a crowd of walkers would be sweeter than chocolate.

Daryl and Sasha followed Abrahams lead to an armoured truck that he had found the rockets on. It would be the perfect ride if they could get it to work. Daryl hopped off his bike and climbed into the driver's seat to try the ignition. The engine turned over and cut out. He tried it again but it was the same, "batteries dead."

"Son of a dick," said Abraham.

"We could use these," Sasha held out a set of jumper cables with one raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"We can siphen fuel from the rest of these vehicles then hightail it outta here faster than a toupee in a hurricane," Abraham grinned as he pointed at the littering of cars on the bridge.

* * *

Kate had been looking after Judith and brewing the chilli from hell when the last of the cars had been collected so she hadn't been sure which one had a working battery or fuel. Between killing stray walkers and popping hoods she was struggling. She didn't have a hose for moving fuel and changing batteries was not in her skill set. _Daryl made this shit look easy,_ Kate sighed heavily as she _finally_ sat down in the driver's seat of a working vehicle.

The sound of the passenger door opening made Kate's heart jump into her throat as she reached for her rifle.

"It's me..." Aaron said quickly as she popped his head into the car and sat down next to her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kate checked the mirrors for signs of anyone else and then stared in disbelief at the man.

"Erin found me, she was crying her eyes out, saying you'd jumped over the wall and ran away… what the hell are you doing here? You could have been killed."

"I had to _do_ something."

"And you couldn't ask for help?"

Kate looked at Aaron's wide honest expression and gently shook her head. She couldn't ask someone to risk their lives. "You should be with Eric right now."

"I want to help you find Daryl, he's our friend and I know you would do the same for us," Aaron fastened his seatbelt.

"If you die then it's going to be my fault."

"You don't control the universe. You can't take the blame for everything… and I'm not planning on dying."

Kate leaned her forehead on the steering wheel and thought about taking Aaron home but with the walkers surrounding Alexandria it would be impossible to return. She sat up and started the car, "how did you get out of Alexandria?"

"There's a tunnel. I would have told you about it if you asked."

"How did you know I'd be here?"

"Luck."

* * *

Daryl rode his motorcycle alongside the armoured truck and towards home. He couldn't wait to wrap his arms around Kate and bury his face in her soft hair. Then he'd fling her over his shoulder and carry her to father Gabriel whether she liked it or not. There was no time for fucking around, either she married him or… she had to marry him. He didn't want to look down the barrel of a gun again without calling her Mrs Dixon at least once.

Yesterday there had been gunfire coming from Alexandria and half the herd had broken off but he had faith that it would still be standing. Kate, Carol, Maggie, Tara and Rosita had all been at home when the gunfire was going down and along with Sasha and Michonne he'd never met such a badass group of women. Now he was thinking about it, _goddamn_. They had bigger balls than most of the men he'd ever met.

Daryl tried his radio again since they were getting closer to home. "Rick you copy? Anybody?"

"Help."

Daryl didn't recognise the voice but the sound of it winded him.

* * *

"Oh come on!" Kate lifted the hood of the car which had clattered to a resounding stop. Steam burst out from what she could only assume was the radiator and she jumped back. She had no idea what was wrong with the engine or how to fix it and one look at Aaron's face indicated that he didn't either.

"Bollocks… fucking… fuck" Kate kicked the tire. Her heart was racing as her temper started to flare. Why did everything have to be so fucking difficult?

Kate picked up a large rock, the kind of rock you needed two hands to hold, and hurled it at the windscreen like a mad women while she shouted "Stupid fucking car…" like it was a battle cry. It made her feel marginally better before she turned to Aaron who was watching her in silent contemplation. Kate felt a blush grace her cheeks as she flicked her hair over her shoulder and gave him a wonky smile. _Why did he always have to be so fucking calm and reasonable?_

"Do you hear that?" he held one finger in the air and paused.

Kate held her breath and she heard it too, "sounds like a truck." They looked at their broken car and then at each other. They couldn't see the truck yet but as the sound grew louder they knew it was coming their way.

"Could be friendly, could be Daryl…" Aaron said.

"Probably a car full of tossers," Kate scoffed. She ran her fingers through the tangles in her hair and unbuttoned the top few buttons of her shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"Take cover over there and stay out of sight. Most people will stop… for a woman."

"I'm not sure about this…" Aaron said as he pulled his gun from the car. "Maybe we should just hide and find another way."

There was no other way. Neither of them could fix this car or hotwire another one and they were miles away from anything. They needed to get in the approaching vehicle no matter what.

* * *

As the road twisted round a bend Daryl spotted a group of men sitting in the road. He looked towards Abraham who was sitting in the passenger side of the truck. The man rolled down the window, "we need to think of a goddamn plan quick, I don't wanna approach this situation with my balls hanging out."

"We can't turn 'round, that truck ain't fast enough to get away from the bikes. I hope ya know how to use them rockets..."

"You bet your ass I do."

Even with the rockets, they were outnumbered more than two to one. This day just kept getting worse and fucking worse. How many arseholes were out here? Once again he couldn't believe the run of luck Alexandria had been having before his group got there.

* * *

The approaching truck eased to a slow stop in front of Kate who was blocking the road and trying to look as non-threatening as possible considering she had a gun over her shoulder and a sword at her hip. A man stepped out of the vehicle followed by a woman and Kate clocked the handgun at his waist before she glanced at the smashed windscreen of her car and smiled brightly, "I'm having a spot of engine trouble."

The two people looked suspiciously at her and then the car before a voice from inside the truck called, "are you Kate?"

Kate sidestepped around the man and woman to see a blonde girl sitting in the cabin of the truck. "How do you know my name?"

"We met your… fiancé…" she said to Kate before shouting "I told you we should have stayed with him," to the other two. "I'm Tina, this is Sherry and that's Dwight."

"Daryl?" Kate felt lightheaded, he was alive. _Thank god_. "Where is he?"

"He was heading into a town a few miles back, looking for his friends," Sherry explained.

Kate was about to ask these people if they could give her a ride into town to find him when she noticed something nestled in the foot well of the passenger seat and her stomach dropped. In one fluid motion she pulled the rifle off her shoulder, took two steps back and aimed the gun at Dwight.

"Tell me why the fuck you have Daryl's crossbow in your truck!"

Dwight pulled out his handgun and aimed it at Kate before Aaron appeared from the bushes with his rifle. It may have been three against two but the others only had one handgun. "Out of the truck," Kate pointed her gun to Tina. The blonde did as she was asked and Kate told them to, "get on your knees, hands on your head." Before she snatched the handgun away from Dwight and shoved it in the waistband of her jeans.

"If you've hurt him-" Kate began.

"We didn't hurt him. We just took his weapons…" Sherry wrapped her arms around Tina who was crying.

"I didn't think we could trust him and we needed any supplies we could get," said Dwight.

"And I'm supposed to believe you people?" Kate shouted as she pressed the end of her gun to Dwight's head.

"It's the truth… it's the truth," Tina cried.

"Kate," Aaron called and the sound of his voice brought her back from the dark place she was going to. "I think they're telling the truth, they stole his things, it's not the worse crime. Rick threatened to put a knife in the base of my scull the first time we met."

Two walkers were walking towards them and Kate slung her gun over her shoulder before she drew her sword and went to kill them. She needed time to think. With every step towards the dead she thought of a different scenario. If these people had hurt Daryl she didn't want to let them go free but at the same time it was impractical to bring three prisoners along with her and Aaron.

Kate killed the walkers in the road and felt weary. The weight of the weapons, the responsibility and the grief was making her want to lie down at the side of the road and go to sleep. She started to question why she was always so insistent to Daryl that she could do everything herself. Right now she'd rather be sitting in a bubble bath with a cup of tea while he mollycoddled her.

"I'm going to search the truck," Kate said as she walked back. She pulled out a huge holdall and dropped it on the floor before checking the glove box and under the seats. There was nothing except the cross bow and the bag. She unzipped the holdall, the bright red and white medical cooler filled with insulin caught her attention. _Shit_.

Kate zipped the bag back up before Aaron could see what was inside and threw it to the people on the road. "Let's go," she said to Aaron while she climbed into the driver's seat.

"We're just going to leave them?" Aaron asked.

"What about my gun? You're already taking our truck," shouted Dwight.

"Rules of the jungle. If you wait here for us to come back… Daryl's a good man… he might still help you." Kate slammed the door and waited for Aaron to climb in before she did a three point turn and headed down the road to find her favourite redneck.

The sight of Dwight, Sherry and Tina abandoned in the middle of the road gave her a pang of guilt but she was only doing to them what they had done to Daryl, though the thought of that did little to comfort her.

* * *

Abraham had given Daryl his handgun before they had started on their journey home. His fingers brushed against it as he climbed off his bike. Abraham and Sasha climbed out of the truck and on the passenger seat he could see the rocket launcher poised and ready to roll.

Some arsehole started to tell them that they had to give over all their things, including his bike and the truck. He was telling them that "you're property belongs to Negan." A truck began to round the bend and come into view. It was Patty. _Had Dwight come back?_

Patty stopped. The door swung open and as the driver stepped out of the truck Daryl had the strange feeling of terror mixed with elation. Kate looked so goddamn beautiful and the sight of her big brown eyes made his heart race but what the fuck was she doing way out here with Aaron? On the brink of a fucking gunfight. And how the hell had she got that truck? The woman had no end to the ways she made him crazy.

"Have we got a problem here gentlemen?" Kate's crisp English tones made her sound ridiculously polite yet menacing at the same time.

"We're just having ourselves a friendly conversation… mmm hmm… bet I could make it real friendly with you," the lead biker began to walk through his men towards Kate. Daryl started to slowly reach for his gun. "What's your name baby?"

"I reckon Negan might like a bit of international pussy for one of his wives," laughed another of the men.

Daryl's hand wrapped around the grip of his handgun and Kate had that wild look on her face which told him that all hell was going to break loose. Sasha's shot rang out the second after Kate's did. _Shit, these women were taking care of fucking business._

Daryl's balls swung so far up his throat with worry for Kate that he thought he might choke. He aimed his handgun and fired off the entire clip. Although the men had the greater number they were surrounded and it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Except they weren't fish, they were living, breathing men and even if they were assholes, it never felt good to take a human life.

Abraham wasted no time in pulling the rocket launcher from the truck with a wide grin spread across his face. He held the giant weapon on his shoulder and took the time to shout, "Hasta la vista…"

"Fuckin' hell…" Daryl ducked down as the rocket flew from the launcher into the centre of the biker gang who were already scrambling to get away. The men had barely even had a chance to fire a single shot. The fight was over in the blink of an eye.

The sound of the motorcycle engines faded away and Daryl tried to ignore the fallen men in the road as he locked eyes with Kate and ran towards her.

* * *

Kate stared at the dead men in the road and cringed. _I had no choice_ , she told herself and the phrase was becoming her twisted mantra.

Daryl ran over to her, "let go of the goddamned gun an' kiss me…" he commanded as he pulled the rifle from her hands and crushed his lips against hers. She felt her knees might buckle as he held her, kissed her and whispered, "I don't wanna see ya doin' anymore of this crazy shit." The he placed his hands on either side of her face, "I fuckin' love ya so much… Jesus Christ ya scared the shit outta me… why the hell are ya runnin' around with Aaron like this? Anythin' could have happened to ya…"

Kate looked again at the dead men in the road. If she hadn't turned up then those bodies could just as easily have been Daryl and Abraham's. Sasha might have been taken by those perverts. "I'm not a child… you think I can wait around while you're out here? Fucking hell Daryl, anything could have happened to you!"

* * *

"I don't want ya riskin' ya life for anybody but…" his eyes dropped to her stomach before he cleared his throat and changed the subject, "what's happenin' at home?"

"I… um…" Kate stuttered before she bit her lip and turned away.

"What's wrong?" Daryl ran his fingers along her soft hair before wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his body against her back. "Alexandria's still there right?" he worried.

"Yes… but we should get back…" Kate fell away from him with an odd look on her face before she leaned into the cabin of the truck and pulled out his stolen crossbow with a faint smile, "like it or not Mr Dixon… I would _never_ leave you out here…" She placed the weapon in his hands and just like Merle, Kate said, "nobody fucks with us."


	52. Chapter 52

"A group calling themselves 'Wolves' attacked yesterday, almost all fatalities were Alexandrians except for…" Aaron looked towards Kate and she braced herself for what he was going to say while at the same time being glad that she didn't have to. "Zach."

The mere sound of the teenagers name was enough to create a lump in the back of her throat. Kate swallowed the pain as she battled the unbearable task of keeping herself together. Just as she thought she might fall apart she felt strong arms wrapping around her. Daryl cradled her against his chest and reminded her that she wasn't alone. She didn't have to keep herself all the way together, Daryl could hold some of the pieces too. Kate nestled herself over the place where she could hear the steady rhythm of his heart and let it soothe her.

"Half the herd made it back to Alexandria, the walls are holding for now but we should return before it gets dark so we can start trying to lure them away," Aaron finished his update then joined Abraham and Sasha who were already starting to clear the road and gather supplies from the dead bikers.

Kate stayed in the safety of her favourite rednecks arms for a little longer before she finally forced herself to pull away. The way he looked at her made her feel like she was the only person in the world. Daryl gently ran his fingers through her hair, tucking a strand behind her ear. His thumb traced lightly over where she knew the purple bruises painted her neck and she resisted the urge to wince.

"It's nothing," Kate pulled Daryl's hand from the marks and rested her cheek on it for a moment before she forced a smile. Half of her heart was broken for Zach but the rest of it still beat fiercely for Daryl. There wasn't one feeling she hadn't felt in the last 24 hours and she wanted to try and hold onto the good ones, the ones that weren't trying to tear her apart.

"I shoulda been there," Daryl said.

Kate shook her head, "it's not your fault." What was it that Aaron had said to her? "You don't control the universe." It was very good advice. She walked over to where the dead men lay in the road and instead of feeling guilt, Kate wanted to think ' _fuck you'_. _Fuck them all_ , she knew she would kill a thousand men to save one of her people and if that made her a bad person well, _fuck that to_ o.

* * *

"Let's just get this over with," Kate mumbled before she began to pick up the arms of one of the fallen bikers.

Daryl grabbed the man's legs to help her drag him from the road and his eyes drifted to Kate's stomach. He cursed Glenn for putting ideas in his head yesterday because even though the world was falling apart and the worse kinds of things had happened, it was all he could think about. If she was in a delicate condition… _delicate condition_ , the phrase almost shot a highly inappropriate laugh out of his mouth before he reminded himself that he was doing a fucking awful job of taking care of her.

Kate was covered in bruises and had been doing all manner of stupid things. She probably shouldn't have been lugging these bodies with him but it was hardly the time to discuss the matter. So he kept his mouth shut and tried to ignore the soppy plans that were starting to creep around his brain.

When the road was clear Daryl had almost asked Kate to ride on the back of his motorcycle before he thought better of it and instead helped her climb into Patty. Although she probably preferred that situation anyway since she didn't seem the biggest fan of climbing onto his bike no matter how much she seemed to enjoy it when she was riding. But then Kate was a woman who liked the driver's seat.

Aaron joined Kate in the truck while Sasha drove the military jeep. To Daryl's surprise Abraham had found himself a motorcycle. The moustached man sat on his new ride with a huge grin on his face, "cigars, rocket launcher and I always wanted my own bike… next thing we'll probably find a wagon full of beer."

Daryl chuckled and admired his optimism. Maybe everything would be okay. Daryl climbed on his bike and fantasied once more about what it would be like to have a family with Kate. Then he backtracked what Abraham had said and raised his eyebrows, "cigars?" He was out of smokes and that made his teeth itch like crazy.

Abraham's grin widened even further, "we make it through this shit and we'll toast the day with one of my new Cuban friends."

* * *

Kate spotted the broken down car which she and Aaron had been travelling in earlier in the day and she pulled over.

"Do you think they'll be here?" Aaron said as they climbed out of Patty.

"If I was them I would probably be long gone…" Kate admitted.

Daryl climbed off his motorcycle with a look of confusion and Kate realised they hadn't discussed how she had come by Patty. "I left Dwight, Sherry and Tina here. I said if they waited we might take them with us."

Her favourite rednecks eyes immediately scanned through the trees before he called out for "Dwight." Just like Kate had said, Daryl was a good man. Even after the trio had abandoned him he was still willing to take them home. Kate wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his back to breathe him in before she began to call for the abandoned three.

Eventually they realised that the search was pointless, as Kate had suspected Dwight, Sherry and Tina were long gone. There was no trail and they hadn't the time to wait for them so all they could do was keep heading back to Alexandria.

As Kate climbed into Patty she felt awful. In hindsight she should have kept the trio with her but it was easy to second guess her decision now she knew for certain that they hadn't harmed Daryl. In some ways she should just have been grateful she hadn't done what she had almost wanted to do. Kill them. She'd been so close to shooting Dwight in the head that she barely even recognised herself in that moment.

 _I only abandoned them_ , Kate told herself. It wasn't the worst thing. They could have waited for her to return and they didn't. Still, she was sure that the sight of that medical container would probably haunt her nightmares for a while, or at least it could join the queue of nightmarish things. Because no matter how much she rationalised she couldn't control her subconscious.

An uncomfortable silence clung to the air in the cabin as Kate drove along the road and eventually she asked Aaron, who was the voice of good reason, "do you think I did the right thing?"

The wait for Aarons answer was tormenting but eventually he said, "you didn't do the wrong thing… you did what you had to do and to be honest… I was happy to let you to decide."

Hindsight could be a wicked thing.

* * *

The convoy of vehicles pulled up ten minutes down the road from Alexandria where the group was sure that the dead wouldn't be able to hear them.

"We'll walk the rest of the way, scope it out before we make a plan," Aaron said as he grabbed his gun from Patty.

Daryl looked to the sky and knew that they only had around an hour's worth of daylight left. As shit as it would be, he wondered if they should just take cover for the night and enact the plan in the morning. But first they needed to see what the situation was.

What the group saw when they came within view of Alexandria was everyone's worse fear. Everyone let out a collective gasp as they stood shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the road feeling completely dumbfounded. The wall was down. The dead were inside. Daryl recalled the "help," he had heard over the radio but since seeing Kate and Aaron he had assumed that the transmission had come from a group of strangers.

"Fuckin' hell," Daryl uttered the phrase that was probably crossing everyone's mind. He thought about Carol and Rick, the kids, and then he thought about the horses.

Daryl had given Cadbury and Buttons a starring role in his fantasy family with Kate. He'd imagined them raising horses and teaching their kids to ride. Of course he would have had to teach Kate to ride first. He'd imagined long summer evenings spent sharing a saddle with Kate as they trotted along the desolate roads. Of course in his fantasy the dead would _actually fucking die_ and they could take back the earth to create some semblance of normal life.

"Eric," Aaron whimpered as he dropped to his knees.

 _Jesus fucking Christ_ , Daryl ran his fingers through his hair and kicked an empty can that sat in the road before he grabbed hold of Kate and crushed her against him. Selfishly, he wondered if they should just run away, find some empty wilderness where there was no living or dead, perhaps a log cabin in the middle of an Alaskan forest. Ice fishing, snowball fights and entire days filled with nothing more than hiding in bed and making love. Of course that idea was imploded as soon as he imagined doing that with a baby or two.

* * *

The sight of Alexandria torn apart and swarming with the dead devastated Kate who had already been exhausted at the idea of coming home to lure the walkers from the wall. What they faced now was a million times worse. This was going to be one uphill battle after another and Kate wondered how much more she had left to give. She suddenly felt sick again but then Daryl held her and he gave her strength.

They couldn't let another place be taken from them. This was it. This was their home and Kate was almost certain that another one would be impossible to come by. They bloody needed this place and would have to win it back from the dead. "We'll get the trucks and lure away as many as we can back to the quarry," Kate was resolute. If she had to slice them one by one for the next month then she would do it.

"Block them back in?" Sasha asked.

Daryl sighed and had a far off look in his eye before he pointed to the rocket launcher on Abrahams shoulder, "we can set them on fire with Patty and the rockets."

"Shit yeah… blow those fuckers like the fourth of July... sorry Duchess," Abraham winked.

Everyone began to walk back to the vehicles before Aaron stopped and said, "I have to go find Eric... I can help any survivors kill the walkers that are left behind."

 _Any survivors_ , the words turned her stomach over. The walkers were in the town but she hoped that everyone had managed to find a place to hide. What if there were no survivors? The idea entered her mind as quickly as she pushed it out. There was no time for her pessimistic side.

"You should go help him," Kate decided as she looked to Daryl. Aaron had helped her so it was only right that someone helped him and Kate knew what she was planning to do in the quarry so it was best that Daryl wasn't there.

* * *

"What about you? I don't wanna leave ya… I wanna…"

"If you say protect me I'll…" Kate smiled and did her best southern accent as she said, "kick ya goddamn ass."

 _Good lord_ , Daryl gripped his crossbow and had the urge to tie Miss Uppity's ass to a damn tree where he could keep her safe. He didn't want to leave her to deal with setting the herd on fire nor did he want to her to step foot in Alexandria when it was overrun. Nowhere was safe and there was no way Kate would sit this out so he resigned himself to the shit stick which he had been handed with a miserable grunt before his hand reached out for Kate's and he swept her into his arms.

If they were going to be parting ways then Daryl wanted to forget about the dead and lose himself in her big brown eyes even if it was only for a moment. "Did I ever tell ya that ya make me crazy?"

"Everyday."

"Yeah… well ya lucky you're so goddamn beautiful. There's not a thing I wouldn't do for ya."

"Me too."

"Then promise me two things," Daryl set Kate on the ground and stroked his hands along her body, settling them on either side of her waist. "One, I'd ask ya not to do anythin' stupid but I know ya will… so just make sure ya come back to me…"

Kate rolled her eyes in the way that made him even crazier and Daryl pressed his forehead against hers. "Two," he sighed and smelled in the familiar smell of her, "I want ya to promise to marry me when this is over… no matter what… or where..."

Kate let out a small strained laugh before she placed her hands on his chest and pulled away but Daryl held her even tighter. He kept her flush against him and she shook her head as she scolded him playfully, "you're like a bloody dog with a bone Daryl Dixon."

"I can't help myself… whenever I look at ya, I just want more. Are ya gonna give me somethin' to look forward to or what?"

Their faces were inches apart in their own private bubble and even though Kate's eyes were smiling he could see she was biting that damn lip and for a moment he thought her stubborn side might win the war again. But then she breathed out "yes," and her warm breath caressed his face. Daryl let out a satisfied sigh before his fingers cupped her chin and brought her lips the rest of the way to his.

In another life Daryl would have been embarrassed to kiss a woman in public in the way he was going to kiss Kate, but this was the end of the world and he'd be damned if he didn't get one last great kiss before they had to face a thousand walkers.

Daryl slowly ran his tongue along Kate's bottom lip, nudging it open while one of his hands held the small of her back and the other buried in the soft tangle of her hair. He wanted to kiss her so hard that she would still feel his lips on hers until they could kiss again.

Daryl's heart was racing out of control when he finally released Kate from his embrace. "I betta go make sure Father Gabriel stays alive then," he chuckled. They didn't say goodbye. They just turned and walked away.

* * *

A/N- Glad everyone like the last chapter :)


	53. Chapter 53

Kate held in the tears as she walked away from Daryl. _Don't look back_ she told herself but she ignored it and turned her head to catch one last glimpse before he disappeared down the road with Aaron. She had spent the morning fighting and even killing to find him, which made leaving him feel absurd.

"Sasha, Duchess, gotta say there ain't many people I'd rather face the jaws of death with than you two ladies," Abraham said as they reached the convoy of vehicles.

"Don't talk like that," Sasha tilted her head to the side while she shook it.

But Abraham was right. This felt like an ending and Kate hoped that was because it was coming right before the start of a beginning. Get rid of these dead then they could make Alexandria better than it had ever been. Kate had been complacent, they all had. They should have been turning that town into a castle.

Kate shrugged her back pack off her shoulders, "I'll drive Patty into the quarry."

"Wait one dang second there Duchess. I'll be driving Patty. There's gonna be walkers swarming around everywhere like flies on shit once the fuels been emptied out. Heck there's probably already a couple hundred left over from yesterday."

"And what? You're bite proof?" Sasha said.

"I'm…" he hesitated and looked between Kate and Sasha before he whispered with uncertainty, "a man."

"Ohhhh…" Kate dragged out the word with raised eyebrows. "You'll be driving and killing walkers with your 'man parts' then?" she gestured to his _nethers_.

"Look, let's not discuss my 'man parts'… I'll save _that_ for later," Abraham let out a strained laugh and Kate caught the sideways look he gave Sasha. _Were Abraham and Sasha a thing?_ She looked between them both as she tied her hair into a ponytail but they were giving nothing more away.

"The fact is I'm no bloody sharpshooter and I can't fire the rocket so our places have already been decided," a walker began to stumbled along the road and Kate recalled the time with Carol before they had entered Terminus.

"Help me with this," Kate beckoned as she drew her sword and jogged over to kill the dead man. Sasha helped her drag the body back to the vehicles. "I'll cover myself in the blood and it will help disguise me from the dead."

Abraham scrunched up his face, "That's real nasty."

"I know…" Kate didn't need to be reminded of that. She didn't even have anything to use to cover herself, except… her eyes swept from the dead man to Abraham. "I need your jacket."

"Aw, I love this thing," he protested before he eventually shrugged it off his shoulders with an uncharacteristic pout and handed it to her.

"Sock's too," Kate commanded.

"Well shit, Duchess, you so desperate to see me naked you only have to ask."

"Nobody wants to see your hairy arse," Kate retorted and Sasha hit him upside the head. Abraham was still chuckling as he bent down and started to pull off his boots. He didn't even question it and for that Kate was silently satisfied. She could have used her own socks as gloves to protect her hands while she scooped out the walker guts but quite frankly wearing her boots with bare feet freaked her out and if she was going to be running the gauntlet she wanted some modicum of comfort.

Kate pulled on Abraham's blue military jacket and rolled up the sleeves several times before buttoning the shiny gold buttons up the front. She must have looked like a child in her father's clothes since the jacket was so baggy on her and the length of it almost touched her knees. She unfastened her sword belt and fixed it over the coat to cinch her in at the waist and have her weapon within easier reaching distance.

Before Kate began to carve open the dead man she unzipped her backpack and reached inside for her wallet of photos. She took the time to carefully examine each one before she closed them away and walked over to Abraham. "I'm afraid I might drop these when I'm running," she passed Abraham her most prized possession with trepidation. "Guard them with your life."

Abraham turned the wallet over in his hands before he nodded and placed her photos in the inside pocket of his jacket. He hadn't asked what it was and he hadn't opened the leather folds to take a peek and for that she liked him even more. He handed her his socks and Kate pulled them onto her hands before she gutted the walker and began to smear her clothes with stench.

Abraham and Sasha sorted out the weapons they would be taking as well as deciding whether to drive the jeep or the ride on the motorcycle together.

When Kate climbed into Patty she rolled down the windows and Abraham leaned into the cabin. "We'll need sound to attract the walkers… I was looking through the jeep and I thought you might like this," he smiled before passing her a CD.

Kate righted the case in her hands and laughed softly. "It's perfect." It was 'The best of Motorhead' and it made her think of home and Daryl as well as being a great soundtrack for doing as Daryl would put it, 'crazy shit'.

Kate watched the look on Abraham's face as Sasha climbed on the back of his bike and he looked like that cat that got the cream. There was _definitely_ something going on between them and it made Kate miss Daryl more than ever.

* * *

Kate sat in Patty just outside of Alexandria's walls. She turned her CD over in her hands before she pushed the disk into the player. The stereo jumped to life and she cranked up the volume to a pitch so loud it made her ears throb. 'Ace of Spade's' blasted out of the truck like a calling card. Through her wing mirrors Kate watched a trickle of dead pour out of Alexandria and she had a sudden rush of adrenaline.

At the side of Patty, Abraham sat on his motorcycle revving the engine while Sasha fired some rounds into the air. They had gone over the plan several times. They all knew what they had to do in theory, but now it was happening and Kate hoped it would be enough.

It wasn't long before the dead were right behind them. It was time to go. Kate's foot teased the gas pedal and Patty eased forward in a gentle crawl that was painfully unnatural when combined with the sight of the dead, the open road and the loud music. All Kate wanted to do was put her foot down and fly down the abandoned streets but she stifled the urge.

Kate was drawing closer to the quarry along a long straight road and through her wing mirrors she could see a long line of dead. It was impossible to tell how many had followed her but it looked like over half of what had surrounded Alexandria's walls. A walker slammed into the passenger side window with a roar as it began to clamber into Patty. Kate's heart jumped into her throat and she let out a manic laugh before she picked up Dwight's handgun from the passenger seat and shot the dead man in the head. His body fell away from the truck and Kate tried to calm down her frayed nerves although she supposed by now she was so far on edge that it would take several days to feel 'calm' again.

The entrance to the quarry was now in sight and Kate breathed a sigh of relief. She finally put her foot down and let Patty pick up some speed so she could clear a bit of distance between herself and the herd. She pulled over and as planned, Sasha and Abraham jumped off the motorcycle to open up the fuel tank on the back of the truck. When they were finished they hopped back on the bike and raced away to take point on the cliff side which overlooked the quarry.

By the time the motorcycle had whizzed away the dead had caught up to Patty and Kate began to roll the truck into the quarry which (as Abraham had predicted) already had a fair amount of dead left over from yesterday's dry run. The truck rolled over walker's as Kate drove in circles to cover as much ground as possible with the leaking fuel.

Maybe it was the slow motion of the truck, the disgusting smell from her gut smeared clothes or that her stress levels were finally going to kill her but she felt the hot wave of nausea swirling around her stomach like a merry go round. No matter how many deep breaths she took, whatever was in her needed to come up. _Right now_. Kate leaned slightly towards the passenger seat as she vomited the contents of her empty stomach and stalled the truck.

"Urgh," this was a real fucking low point. Covered in guts and her own vomit. She restarted the engine. Vomit was on her leg, in the wisps of hair that had escaped her ponytail and settling nicely as a thick coating in her mouth. She pulled Patty away from where the walkers had already started to mass when she had stalled and pulled over. Kate doubled checked her sword and gun before deciding, _it's now or never_. She opened the door and placed one shaky foot on the ground before gulping in some air.

The walkers where shuffling ever closer to the loud music blaring out of Patty and Kate began to sneak away. Some of the dead turned to look at her but the stench of the guts was working. She weaved between them as fast as she dared to go and headed for the ramp where the truck had fallen from the road. The other entrance was filled with all the dead which had followed her from Alexandria.

Kate's stomach began to churn again and she suddenly had the awful idea that she had become infected. She stared at the walker blood on her clothes and imagined it leaking into some open wound and coursing through her veins. The idea combined with the nausea was enough to make her wretch, but there was nothing to vomit. Acidic bile filled her mouth and she swallowed it back down as she noticed a walker cast its hungry eyes her way. Its arms reached out and Kate's eyes flicked to the darkening sky as she made a snap decision to draw her sword and lop its head off.

Her game was up now and more of the dead looked her way as they began to see through her rouse. Kate imagined Abraham was probably itching to light up the fuel soaked quarry with his rockets while it was still light enough to see what he was doing so she gripped her sword and began to run.

Kate made it to the ramp and safely away from the fuel but her escape was scattered with a procession of walkers and all eyes were on her. She swallowed down hard and thought about her promises to Daryl as she pushed a walker off the edge of the road and began to move forward. Between the blows that Kate dealt with her sword was the constant pop popping of Sasha's rifle and as each bullet meet its target, walker heads exploded all around her.

Kate was halfway to the end of the ramp when her ears picked up the tell-tale whoosh of what she knew to be Abraham's rocket being launched. She tried to brace herself for impact but she was running and there was nothing to hold onto so when the ground trembled she stumbled forward and caught her fall on the handle of her sword, digging it into the road. Most of the walkers on the ramp had fallen and Kate used the opportunity to jump over as many as she could before she heard the second whoosh.

Abraham must have hit Patty because she felt the blistering heat of fire swelling from the ground and the deafening sound of the blast seemed to reverberate off every wall. The whole quarry shook and Kate fell to the ground with the walkers. Her sword flew from her sweaty palms and skidded across the floor as it made its way underneath the nearby lorry.

There was dust everywhere, it filled Kate's lungs as she tried to breath and the ringing in her ears made her dizzy. Kate scrambled to her feet. The possessed face of a dead man jumped out of the smoke and grabbed her hair with a snarl. Kate's heart pounded wildly as her fingers wrapped around Dwight's gun and pulled it from under Abraham's coat where she had tucked it in the waistband of her jeans. She placed the barrel under the dead man's chin and pulled the trigger with a dull bang through her muffled eardrums.

Kate shot two more walkers as she ran to the lorry that covered her sword. The ground was shaking again and to her horror she saw that the ramp was collapsing. _Holy fucking shit._ She threw herself on the ground and stretched her arm as far as it could go to reach for her sword. Her fingertips just caressed the handle when another group of walkers began to claw their way from the dust. Kate rolled away from the lorry and crouched on one knee as she fired until the handgun clicked to empty and the dead stopped dropping.

The ground was beginning to crumble beneath her and on either side of the ramp was dust, walkers and chaos. She wiped her hand across her sweaty brow and tried to look across the smoke filled expanse to where she knew Abraham and Sasha were. She realised there was no way to make it back to them. For no more than a second she closed her eyes and pictured Daryl, then Harry and wondered if it was going to hurt. _Oh god._ A single tear rolled down her cheek and her fingers stroked the desperately empty handgun. Then she laughed. She laughed a hysterical laugh like a hyena because what more was there to do. She'd really fucked it now just like Daryl knew she would and she was sorry. She hated breaking promises.

"Up here," a voice called over the confusion and the buzzing in her ears. Then it called again and Kate panted as her eyes darted to the tree lined cliff side above. Through the dust she could see a shadowy figure waving his arms in the air. She looked towards her sword and with a heavy heart she knew she had to leave it. Then she smacked the nearest walker in the face with the butt of the handgun and began to climb up the front of the lorry as high as she could get. It still wasn't high enough to reach the ledge and she could feel the lorry beginning to slip from the rapidly collapsing road as a long line of expletives swarmed around her brain.

Kate stood on her tip toes and grasped desperately for the tree roots which were dangling from above. Despite the wood cutting into her fingers with what felt like a hundred splinters she held the roots tightly. Underneath her toes the lorry tumbled away leaving her stranded. Kate panted and tried not to look down when two strong hands gripped her forearm and began to pull her up. Her legs kicked wildly trying to find purchase on something to propel her higher. _Don't let go_ , she wanted to scream the words to her rescuer but she could hardly breathe. The toe of her boot found a foot hold in the jagged wall of the cliff side and with the help of the stranger they forced her to the top of the precipice with an exhausting heave.

Kate rested her head on the ground and felt her entire body go into shock. A thick layer of sweat covered her skin, her breathing became shallow and her body felt like lead as she collapsed and rolled on to her back to see who had pulled her up the cliff side. He knelt down beside her and Kate managed to utter the word, "you?" before the speckled dots tickling her vision turned everything to black.

* * *

A/N- It was very satisfying to blow up that quarry in my imagination haha.


	54. Chapter 54

"We can sneak into Alexandria through here," Aaron jogged his way to the entrance of a tunnel with Daryl hot on his heels. The man was wasting no time in beginning his desperate search for Eric and Daryl was glad to be there to look out for him. He imagined Kate, who had spent the morning chasing after him with the same reckless determination and couldn't help the smile that crept across his face. She made him frantic with the stupid shit she did but it was nice to have a woman who would run through hell for him. Not that he would ever admit that.

"Last time I came out of this tunnel it was surrounded by dead," Aaron said as he pried open the gate which led to a sewer. The streets outside of Alexandria were empty now that the walkers were inside.

"Maybe we should go over the wall?" Daryl didn't mind getting dirty but even he wrinkled his nose at the idea of wading through the stagnant water but his suggestion was too late since Aaron was already in the tunnel picking up his hectic pace.

Daryl chased after him and when they reached the bottom of a ladder he made sure to grab hold of it first. He knew that Aaron wasn't thinking clearly and would probably jump out without even looking. "wait there," he said to his panicked friend as he began to climb the ladder. He didn't want to take any unnecessary risks and wanted to be the one to make the call when it came to climbing out of the ground to where a thousand monsters were waiting.

When Daryl reached the top of the ladder the sound of five loud gunshots blasted off in quick succession. He pressed his face to the grate to try and peer out but couldn't see anything. _Fuck it_ , he decided while ignoring his own advice. He pushed the grate aside and climbed out before he had a chance to think about it. Two walkers dived towards him and he threw the first onto a fence post and the other caught his knife right through the eye.

There were clusters of dead everywhere, hammering at doors and pooling around what looked like human remains. One body had been so badly torn apart by greedy hands that Daryl couldn't tell if it used to be a man or a woman. A sickly feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he looked towards Aaron and rasped, "let's go."

They ran across the grass taking cover where they could and killing any walkers that noticed them before they spotted Rick surrounded by walkers about 100 meters away.

Daryl sank his knife into the skull of a nearby walker before he started to run towards the constable with Aaron at his side.

"We need to get to the infirmary," Rick shouted as he held a limp body in his arms.

Michonne slashed her way from a group of dead and Daryl spotted Father Gabriel hacking his machete like a mad man. He remembered his deal with Kate and shot a bolt through the brain of the walker which was sneaking up on the man before he grabbed Gabriel's shirt and dragged him along.

The dead were everywhere as the group fought their way to the infirmary. When they made it to the door the sound of more gunshots began to ring out.

"It's Denise and one of those… wolves," Aaron shouted over the chaos.

"Infirmary ain't no good without a doc," Daryl shoved Father Gabriel to join Rick in the safety of the building before Aaron and Michonne were by his side and together they began to make their way towards Denise.

The man which Daryl assumed to be a wolf was struggling with the doctor as he tried to fight off the surrounding walkers. Daryl thought of the bruises on Kate's neck as he loaded his crossbow and took aim. He hit the wolf in the neck and his blood sprayed like a sprinkler before he fell to the jaws of a hundred desperate walkers.

The promises of fresh meat to the dead gave Daryl enough time to grab Denise and pull her back to the infirmary. With Aaron and Michonne they climbed in to the building through a secluded window out of sight of prying walker eyes.

The sound of 'Ace of Spades' began to blast from outside of the walls along with intermittent gunfire and Daryl's breath lodged in his throat. It had to be Kate and the others. He knew that she was going to be luring the dead out of the walls with Abraham and Sasha, but the reality of it actually happening was terrifying. He'd just fought his way through a path of dead to save Denise but the idea of Kate doing anything as basic as facing two walkers broke him out in a cold sweat.

Daryl looked to Rick and wondered how the hell he coped with having his children in the middle of this shit storm. "You know what that noise is?" Rick asked as he shrugged his blood stained poncho over his head.

"Kate…" Daryl's voice faltered before he cleared his throat, "Sasha and Abraham are gonna try an' lead some of the walkers back to the quarry. We should stay in 'ere and keep quiet for now."

A pained groan called from behind Rick and Daryl looked over to the makeshift operating table where Denise and another woman were working frantically. "Is that…"

"It's Ron… Jessie… we were in the middle of a group of walkers when… she's… she accidently shot him," from the defeated look on Rick's face Daryl realised that Jessie was gone.

"What about the other kid?" Daryl asked remembering the younger one. Rick tilted his head and didn't have to say another word for him to have the sickening realisation that the little boy was with his mother.

"I'm sorry."

"They weren't ready for this. That fucking owl statue, it brought the lot of them down onto the house." Rick turned back to Ron and muttered something under his breath before he disappeared to upstairs.

Daryl spotted Carl and Judith cuddling in a chair and crouched down to take a look at them both. In all the mayhem outside he hadn't even noticed them with the group. "We're okay," Carl said and Daryl nodded before prodding Judith in her chubby arm. She smiled like only a baby could in this sort of situation and he felt a fluttering in his chest.

"I knew little Ass Kicker would be alright." He told Carl but also himself then he thought about Sam. Poor frightened kid, asshole for a Daddy then… nobody should have to go like that. Especially not a child.

Daryl was forcing away the horrific images his brain was conjuring when he spotted Father Gabriel sitting in the corner, clutching his machete. "Ya alright? Ya ain't been bit have ya?"

"No," Gabriel's eyes were wide and Daryl realised that this was probably the first time he'd said more than one word to the man since they had met.

"Good," Daryl took a seat next to the priest and ran his tongue along his teeth. _Goddamn_ , what he wouldn't give for a fucking smoke right now. The sight of Denise and some of the others desperately trying to stem the flow of blood from Ron's gunshot wound was tipping his anxiety levels far over the edge. In this moment Daryl felt powerless, all he could do was hold his face in his hands and try to block everything out until Kate had led the herd away.

"I've been watching the streets from the second floor," Rick announced to the room. "More than half of the walkers are starting to leave but we're still gonna have a fight on our hands. We'll give Kate and Sasha a little bit more time then I'm gonna take a team to the armoury. We can get the guns out and start distributing them to any survivors."

Eventually, the sound of the music had long since faded and Denise had gotten the gunshot Ron had taken to his face under control. Rick told Carl to stay behind and do whatever it took to keep Judith safe while almost everyone else prepared to leave.

Rick, Daryl, Michonne, Gabriel and Aaron all checked their weapons and Daryl knew he would be spending an inordinate amount of time with his eyes on the priest. "Make sure ya stick wi me," he had told him and that was the only protection he could offer. Everyone needed to work together if they were going to rid Alexandria of the walkers.

"Ready?" Rick asked and not a word was spoken before they all climbed out of the window and made their way to the street.

The armoury was only a short distance from the infirmary and the distance passed in a blur of teeth and guts before he was jumping down the flight of stairs and pushing Gabriel through the door. True to his word he was making sure that damned priest stayed alive.

Daryl spotted Olivia then Reg. "You made it back," the man said as he stood up and adjusted his glasses.

"Just you two in here?" Aaron asked.

"Just us, have you seen Deanna? Spencer?" Reg asked and Rick put his arm over the man's shoulder to guide him away from the rest of the group for a private conversation.

"Deanna was with us, she got bit," Michonne whispered to Daryl as they found a holdall and began to fill it with guns. _Fucking hell_ , despite what he thought of Spencer he respected the feisty congresswoman but most of all he felt awful for Reg who was now being told that his wife was gone.

Daryl picked up a handgun, loaded the magazine and passed it to Olivia who was standing alone in the corner while everyone else grabbed what they needed, "ya better be prepared to fight for this place… ain't no time better than today."

"I can't," Olivia muttered, looking down at the ground and fiddling with the hem of her sweater. _Jesus_ , the woman looked like she didn't know whether to shit herself or be sick and he felt sorry for her before he remembered what she'd done.

"Look… I know what ya did to Zach, now's ya chance to make it up," Daryl thrust the gun into her hands. "We all gotta start somewhere." He thought of Miss Uppity, grabbing hold of her sword, marching to battle and cutting down anyone who dared stand in her way. He was glad she wasn't hiding in the corner like Olivia was now, he wasn't sure he could have fallen in love with her if she was.

Reg and Rick emerged from wherever they had disappeared to and the former picked up a gun with a determined look on his face before he walked over to Michonne, "I'm glad you were with her, she admired you greatly."

"It's getting late, we need to kill as many as we can before we're doing it in the dark," Rick said.

"We should split up. Cover more ground. Find more survivors," Michonne added.

"I want to look for Eric at our house," Aaron said.

"I'll go with him," Daryl volunteered before he pointed to Gabriel, "I'll take him too." Olivia sidled up to his side with her gun clutched to her chest and he guessed she was joining his group as well.

Rick, Reg and Michonne went back towards the infirmary while Daryl's group headed for Aarons house, killing whatever dead were in their way before they snuck in through the back door. It didn't take much searching before they realised that Eric wasn't home. Aaron slammed his hand against the wall before running the other over his face with a groan. Daryl didn't think he'd ever seen him so agitated.

"Let's check the horses," Daryl suggested as he helped Olivia reload her handgun.

"You're right," Aaron cocked his gun and grabbed the handle of the door.

"Ya did good just now," Daryl whispered to Olivia as he nudged her back outside.

From all over Alexandria the sounds of war and walkers filled the air while they snuck their way to the paddock. When they made it to the field they hid behind the fence and found it empty. No horses, dead or alive and Daryl felt a small twinge of hope.

"Look…" Aaron called to him as he pointed to a nearby house which was being swarmed by the dead. "They know there's something inside…" There must have been more than twenty walkers clawing meticulously at the garage door and all around.

"On me," Daryl whispered to the little group before readying his assault rifle and leading them out from the cover of the fence.

Daryl shot the first walker and then the second before the dead began to look towards them. Between the gunshots and fighting he heard the faint whinny of a horse and smiled. "Come on," he shouted to Aaron, Olivia and Gabriel as he began to shoot the walkers that stood between themselves and the house. When they reached the garage door Olivia pounded on it while the others held off the walkers and eventually the clattering of the door rolling open let Daryl breathe a sigh of relief as he killed two more walkers and fell inside the safety of the garage.

The door slammed shut at his feet and he cocked his head to see Erin. Behind him the horses snorted but it was the relief in Aaron's voice as he cried out "Eric" that made him grin. Daryl stood up in time to see them share a kiss and instead of making him uncomfortable or think of some homophobic comment that Merle might have made, he thought about Kate. He wished she was within arm's reach rather than running around doing god only knew what.

Daryl tried to push aside thoughts of what Miss Uppity might be doing as he rubbed his hand along Buttons' mane before scratching behind her ear. "Good girl," he soothed and despite worrying about Kate he was still happy to see that the horses were alive and well. His ideas about raising horses and teaching his kids to ride began to form into a possibility again before the sound of gunfire from outside reminded him that they had more to do before he could make a start on his fantasies.

Erin started prattling some nonsense about Kate and Spencer before Daryl passed her a gun and told her to "shut ya goddamn yammerin'… ain't no time for that now."

Daryl patted Cadbury and with a heavy sigh he said, "we gotta get back out there."

The quarry was over five miles away but despite the distance, the gunfire, and the walls of the building he was standing in, Daryl could hear the rumblings of a huge explosion and felt a strong sense of dread.

* * *

A/N- Big thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed my story and to everyone who has left a review. I love reading peoples feedback :) Also I had terrible writers block while drafting this chapter and managed to write two one shots (potential first chapters) for Carol/Daryl and Beth/Daryl, would love it if you would check them out!


	55. Chapter 55

Daryl sunk his knife into the skull of what looked to be the last walker before he sat on the ground in exhaustion. It was dark and there was blood and bodies everywhere. He had no idea how long it had been since he had followed Aaron through the secret tunnel into Alexandria but it felt like a lifetime.

"It's over," Carol rested her face on his shoulder and he leaned his head on hers.

"We should call a meeting, gather all the survivors… I don't even know who's…" Rick began.

Daryl heaved himself to his feet before helping Carol to her own. In all the chaos he hadn't seen Kate, Sasha or Abraham.

Most of the survivors were crammed into the constable's living room. Daryl filed in at the back, casting his eyes over everyone that had made it through and panic began to grip him. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. He wanted to see her big brown eyes and wrap her in his arms before telling her that he'd kept his promise and Father Gabriel was still alive.

"We've lost a lot of people today but in the end we've won. The dead aren't a threat if we work together. We can build this place back up and make it even stronger." Rick said.

"Has anybody seen Kate?" Daryl shouted. What did he care about Alexandria and its walls if she wasn't here?

"It was getting dark, they probably decided to spend the night hiding out, it's a long way from the quarry," Aaron said.

"You think Kate would hide out when there was fighting happening at home? You think Abraham and Sasha would?" Daryl's reasoning's were beginning to make him frantic. He picked his crossbow off the floor and began to head out.

"Daryl!" Rick shouted and chased after him. "We both know any number of things could have stopped them getting back… look at Glenn. Look at you. Both of you spent the night out and you're back now. You think she'd want you out there looking right now?" Daryl's shoulders sagged. Rick was right.

"We'll take him home," Eric said and Daryl thought, 'I ain't a fuckin' baby'. But he was too tired, worried and miserable to find the strength to fight their gentle nudges and soothing shoulder pats.

* * *

Daryl took a shower in Aaron and Eric's house out of necessity rather than want. His clothes, body and hair were matted with all manner of disgusting things and as Eric had said, "you can't get into bed covered in filth."

Aaron had laid a pair of sweat pants and a wife beater out for him on the bed of their guest room. _Fucking guest room_. He pulled the clothes on and trudged down the stairs while rolling his aching shoulders. His whole body felt like it had taken a beating.

"Scotch," Aaron offered as he passed Daryl a glass.

"She'll be okay… we know Kate," Eric took a long pause and a sip of his drink, "she'll be fine."

Daryl downed his scotch in one long gulp and savoured the burn as it slid down his throat, "Glenn got it in my head that she's…"

A knock at the door saved him from what he was about to say and he was glad of it. Aaron opened the front door to allow Carol to enter. She'd cleaned up too, "We're going to sort out the bodies in the morning, I wanted to check on you before I turned in."

"Ain't nothin' to check… she'll be fine," Daryl eyed up the bottle of scotch and thought about drowning in it before he wiped his hands over his face and decided it would be better to try and sleep. Get some rest, get the dark of the night out of the way and then he could find her. Maybe in the morning she would come running through the gates and everything would be okay.

* * *

The next morning Aaron made him porridge then Daryl made his way home to get his own clothes. Sleep had been easier than he had anticipated since he had been so worn out but this morning every muscle in his body was stiff and ached worse than it had last night. He flung open the door of his house and stepped inside the entryway. No Zach, no Kate. He could hardly stand it and ran upstairs to change into some jeans and a flannel shirt as fast as he could before running back outside.

When the door slammed shut behind him he jumped back at the sight of Rick standing at the bottom of the garden with a grave look on his face.

Daryl's heart sank, "what is it?"

"Sasha and Abraham are back. Alone."

"Where are they?"

"The infirmary."

Daryl pushed past Rick and marched as fast as his legs could carry him but they felt as heavy as lead and it seemed to take forever as he tripped over the walkers that littered the street. When he reached the door he swallowed down the lump in his throat before heading inside.

"Tell me…" was all Daryl managed to say.

Sasha was getting a gash on her arm stitched up and Abraham who was sitting beside her stood up. "We lit the quarry with the rockets… set fire to the lot of them. There was smoke, dust, it was everywhere. The ground started to shake. Sasha was giving Kate covering fire from across the quarry but the dust blocked our view… she was almost off the road," Abrahams voice began to break.

Sasha touched Abe's hand before she looked to Daryl, "the road collapsed, we didn't see it happen, we just… heard it. We tried to look for her… that's why we never made it back last night…"

"I didn't wanna leave without her," Abraham rubbed his fingers over his eyes.

"What the fuck?" Daryl shouted. "Ya'll don't even know what happened to her?" Anger, frustration, guilt and heartache gripped him. Then denial. If they hadn't seen anything happen then nothing had happened.

"Ya shoulda fuckin' waited until she was outta there 'fore ya set it on fire!"

"I know…" Abraham began.

"We had no way of knowing the road would collapse… the dead were starting to chase her up the ramp. It was getting dark… he needed to take the shot while he could still see Patty and before the walkers all chased her out of the quarry," Sasha said.

Daryl balled his hand into a fist and stormed out of the infirmary without another word. He hurried down the road and Aaron and Eric caught up with him, "Rick told us."

He spotted Carol and Morgan arguing in the middle of the road. In the middle of last night's fighting he had taken refuge with Carol and while they caught their breath she had told him that the man had body slammed her as well as keeping a wolf hidden within the walls. The same wolf that had almost gotten Denise killed. The same wolf that could have killed or hurt any of them. Suddenly all his pent up anger started to bubble forth.

Daryl charged at Morgan and his fist connected with the side of his head before they both fell to the ground. Aaron pulled him back but he was filled with adrenaline and broke free with ease. "You're full of shit," he shouted as he punched the man once more. Morgan's ninja stick connected to Daryl's head with a loud thwack and he stumbled back.

The point on the ground which he fell to was as good a place as any to place his head between his knees and start remembering how to breathe. Since Rick had said 'alone' he had felt like he was being chocked and his conversation with Sasha and Abraham had only tightened the knot. _Jesus fucking Christ, where the hell was Kate? What if…_ he stopped himself before he finished that sentence and touched the swollen bump on his head with a sharp hiss.

"Ya betta stay outta my fuckin' way asshole," he pointed to Morgan before he grabbed his crossbow and began to make his way to the gate.

Daryl flung the front gate of Alexandria open and stuck his knife through the face of the walker that was outside. "Fuckin' stupid asshole," he shouted as he threw its body down. After all the dead they had slaughtered last night it was defeating to see more waiting outside of the walls. It was a reminder that no matter how hard they fought, it was never enough.

Daryl wondered how long and how many more fights he would have to endure before the dead would be defeated. _Maybe never._ He wondered if he could face the end of the world without Kate. No one could make him laugh or make him smile the way she did. He couldn't go back to the way he was before, miserable and lonely.

He barely even registered the three people trailing behind him as he reached his bike. It was sitting in the road exactly where he had left it the day before and he climbed on top of it while he remembered kissing Kate and not saying goodbye. He should have never let her leave without him.

"Daryl," Abraham stood beside him and pulled something from his pocket. "Kate gave me this."

Daryl ran his thumb over the leather before he let it fall open. Harry really looked so much like Kate. He flicked through to the picture of Harry's birthday and traced his finger over her pretty face.

"I didn't know…" Eric said and Daryl realised he'd let everyone see her most secret possession.

"She wouldn't want ya to... I shouldn't have let ya'll see this," Daryl muttered miserably as he folded the photos away and slipped them inside his pocket.

Aaron, Eric and Abraham followed him in the jeep and before long they were standing just outside of the quarry and staring at the smouldering mass of dead. The stench of it was breath taking and he wrapped the red rag from his back pocket over his nose and mouth to block as much of the smell as he could before he started to walk between the melted bodies.

Aaron and Eric had already told him that they didn't think looking here was a good idea, but he didn't care. If she had fallen to the bottom of this quarry he needed to know. He didn't care how dangerous it might be, "ya'll can wait 'ere... or go back, help rebuild the wall an' clear the dead."

"Rick's sorting that out, he's got plenty of help," Aaron said.

"This way," Abraham walked ahead of him and led him to the place where he had last seen Kate standing.

Daryl stood on a pile of wreckage and looked up to the point where the road used to be. "Jesus." _What a fucking mess_. He flipped over a piece of broken tarmac with the toe of his boot before crouching down and starting to clear the rubble.

When he looked behind him Aaron, Eric and Abraham had their sleeves rolled up and they were clearing rocks too. He wasn't the only one who cared about Kate.

They didn't have to search for long amongst the collapsed road before Daryl had spotted _it_ , catching the sun like a beacon. Daryl and Abraham shifted the rock that was burying it and with a pained breath he wrapped his hand around the handle to pull Kate's sword from the rubble.

"Daryl…" Aaron began.

"Don't. It don't mean nothin'," he tried to convince himself before all four men began calling her name, frantically shifting the surrounding rocks.

The sound of a pained snarling made him jump and he tuned to see Aaron pulling his bloody knife from between some rubble and his heart was in his throat.

"It's not... it was a walker."

"She's not here," Eric decided eventually but it didn't give much comfort to Daryl.

He pressed his forehead against the hilt of her sword and looked around the quarry. "What if she fell and then… walked away?" he whispered the thought that had been tormenting him. Even worse than finding her buried in this rubble would be never finding her, knowing she was out there. One of them.

* * *

Kate's eyes flicked open, her throat was dry and her mind flashed back to the quarry. _Oh my god_ , she ran her hand over the outside of the quilt and stared out of the window at the sunshine. How long had she been asleep? She looked around the room, her eyes resting on the Barbie dream house in the corner then chasing the pink and purple butterflies that surrounded the walls. She had no memory of how she came to this house.

She coughed against the dry grating in her throat before pulling the quilt off her body. Her hands grasped at her exposed skin as she realised that she as in her underwear. _Oh my god_ , she squeezed her eyes shut and tried again to remember how she had got here but her memory was blank. All she remembered was dust, blood and black.

Kate's feet hit the carpeted floor and she pulled herself up onto shaky legs while she looked around the room for something to cover herself with. She spotted a fluffy pink dressing gown hanging on the back of the door and grabbed it. The label read age 8-9 but it was stretchy and the only thing on hand so she pulled it over her arms. It fit, sort of, at least enough to cover her modesty. This was like a fucking nightmare and it reminded her of nights spent drinking and dancing followed by the morning walk of shame, when she had been at university.

Kate leaned her hands on her knees and bent forward while the room began to spin. She felt like a car running on an empty tank. Her stomach was squeezing in pain and she gathered the tiny morsel of saliva in her mouth to wet her cracked lips before she straightened up and stumbled out of the bedroom. She grabbed the sill of the hallway window to steady herself before her fingers wrapped around a tall glass vase. She felt in no condition to fight, she didn't even want to be walking right now but she couldn't lie in that bedroom and just wait.

She crept down the stairs with the vase held tight in her hand and was just in time to see the front door slamming shut as a man hurried inside. "You're up," he said before picking up her boots which were resting on a piece of newspaper by the door and throwing them her way. "We gotta go."

The sound of several motorcycles hummed from somewhere outside and Kate remembered the biker gang she had shot at with a heavy sigh and a sinking feeling.

"They saw me. Trust me when I say you do not want them capturing you right now," the mans' eyes looked her up and down while he scratched at his facial hair and she suddenly remembered him pulling her from the quarry and saving her life but she also remembered him from another time. _Another fall_.

Kate pulled on her boots as quickly as her clumsy, exhausted, fingers could allow and recalled the day she had met the bearded man along with his friends, the day she had taken a tumble down the side of a bank to their feet. "I forgot your name…"

"It's Paul… but my friends call me Jesus."

* * *

 **A/N** \- Thanks to everyone who has favorited and followed my story over the past few days. Please leave some feedback, I love to hear what people think, what parts they enjoy, it really helps me keep writing :)

Jeanf- It was always going to be Jesus that saved Kate but I did think about Spencer for a while. It would have been a total Michael Myers boogeyman moment! So it made me laugh when you considered it too!


	56. Chapter 56

Kate followed Jesus out of the back door, through the garden and then across an overgrown field.

"I don't think they saw what house I went into," he called back to her as he ran ahead.

Kate was struggling, her legs were jelly and her stomach was churning and tightening with every step. She fell to the ground and Jesus ran back to pull her up and drag her along to the cover of the woods. When they were safely tucked into the tree line she stopped and took a breathless seat on the ground. The feel of the wet mulch soaking through her cotton knickers and against the backs of her thighs was uncomfortable but she couldn't possibly take another step without a rest.

Kate clutched the vase she had taken from the house to her chest and coughed up her dusty lungs before Jesus passed her a bottle of water. The cool liquid carving its path down her dry throat was heavenly and she drank almost the entire bottle before catching her breath.

"When was the last time you ate or drank?" Jesus asked as he pulled a packet of crackers out of his pocket and passed them to her.

Kate tore open the packet and devoured the crackers in silent mouthfuls before she looked back at the man, "I don't recall."

Kate wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stared at her grass stained knees, what a mess she was in right now. She was officially finished with doing stupid shit. She wasn't cut out for it. Kate had never felt more ill in her entire life than she had in the past few days. She just wanted to go home. Maybe losing her sword was a sign if she believed in that sort of thing. Maybe it was time for her to pick up a pen and focus on the job Deanna had given her, writing and teaching instead of fighting and killing.

The distant sound of motorcycles became louder and the time for resting was over. "We gotta keep moving. Negan's men don't give up too easily."

Kate sighed and sank the glass vase into the dirt. It was weighing her down too much. She was too tired to be carrying a useless 'weapon'.

"Wanna tell me why they're looking for you?" Jesus asked as he placed a small kitchen knife in her hand.

"Do you want to tell me what happened to my clothes?" she tightened the belt of her fluffy dressing gown and felt ridiculous as she tried to find a place for her knife and realised there was none.

"They were covered in guts. I managed to clean your boots," he nodded to her feet.

Kate began to climb over a fallen tree and behind them they could hear the fast snapping of twigs and heavy footsteps. "Come on," Jesus urged as he grabbed her waist and pulled her over the tree. Kate followed his lead as fast as she could manage but running at pace through the dense forest was impossible, especially with the way she was still feeling. Kate's legs were getting torn apart as they seemed to brush against every branch or spikey plant that the undergrowth had to offer. She began to question why the hell Daryl liked being out in the woods so much, this was like fucking torture to her.

Eventually the sounds of their pursuers had faded and Jesus slowed his frantic pace. "So are you gonna tell me why they're looking for you?"

"What makes you think they are?"

"I overheard them talking when I was scavenging us some food. You're the only English woman I've come across, pretty big coincidence wouldn't you say?"

"Like you being there yesterday to rescue me?" she swiftly changed the subject. She wasn't about to tell a near stranger that she had murdered people yesterday. She wondered if the skirmish had started some kind of war and what Jesus knew about these men. She didn't regret the gunfight or the killing, only the sloppiness of it. They should have killed as many as they could, then followed the survivors and taken them out too.

"It's not a coincidence that I found you," Jesus said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I was looking for you."

"Why?"

"When we met that day by the road. I knew you were lying to me about travelling alone. You were too clean, well kept. Andy said you were too... let's say, attractive."

Kate snorted and looked at her grubby fingers before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "If you saw me today you'd think I was Stig of The Dump."

"I finally found your camp and saw the roamers break through the walls. I almost left but then you and some others turned up… you were the one I recognised so I followed you. I've told you everything I know and you haven't even told me your name."

* * *

"Daryl, over here," Abraham bellowed.

"What is it?"

"My coat… her belt, she was wearing them…"

Daryl took the soft leather belt from Abraham's hand, "if she had…" he didn't want to say the word, "she wouldn't have been able to take her clothes off."

The men all looked at each other, then all around to find any other traces of Kate. "Nobody move," Daryl ordered them before he wrapped Kate's belt around his waist and holstered her sword. His hunter's eyes picked up signs of a scuffle and a man's boot prints walking away along a small worn trail. Maybe someone had helped her? Or taken her? Any hope that he was starting to feel once again became despair.

"Tracks lead this way…" he muttered. Even if it only looked like one set it was the best lead they had. The four men followed the trail, losing it at places and picking it back up at others, and eventually it led to a meadow of tall grass and on the other side stood a row of seven houses.

They were about to check the first house when Eric spotted what looked like motorcycle tracks, flattening the grass and heading back towards the trees. Daryl ran over to inspect them, "they look pretty fresh."

"The men from yesterday didn't look like the sort to tuck tail and run away for long," Abraham said.

"What do you want to do?" Eric asked.

"Shit," Daryl ran his hand over his face. Search the houses or follow the trail? If she was being chased he needed to catch up to her before they did. He called out her name at the top of his lungs several times and they killed the walkers that crept over in response before he decided to trust his gut and follow the new set of tracks.

He began to run through the meadow along the tire marks. Just as Daryl was about to step into the line of trees he spotted a patch of mud filled with several boot prints but it was one set that caught his eye, they were smaller than the rest. He put his hand next to the print and thought about Kate. Was it possible that this was her? Memories of his search for Sophia were resurfacing. The same feelings of hope were quickly followed by the knowledge of how the search had ended.

Daryl straightened up and led the men back into the forest. He thought about Kate's terrible sense of direction with mild panic as he began to head down what seemed the obvious trail. Even so, since this was Kate he instructed the others to "fan out" before noticing some litter sitting next to the trail. An empty cracker packet and a glass vase. He let the rubbish fall back to the ground before he picked up the vase and looked behind him towards where the houses were.

* * *

"Here," Jesus barked while grabbing Kate's hand and thrusting her through the doorway of a pharmacy to avoid the group of walkers that was moving through the town. The two of them were in no position to fight. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Jesus could have fought them. The way the man handled the dead they had happened across was quite unlike anything she had seen. He was like a bloody Jedi. The problem was Kate, she couldn't fight, she was a liability.

They had been ducking and hiding from walkers and various groups of bikers all afternoon and Kate could tell that her new companion was getting frustrated at their slow progress. She wasn't herself, she was weak. She was like one of the useless people she frowned upon. Olivia and Erin sprang to mind. She had no decent weapon, no energy and a near constant feeling of nausea.

Kate slumped over the counter of the pharmacy in quite possibly the most undignified way possible considering the thigh skimming children's robe that she was wearing but she didn't care. That was another good thing about Jesus, the man hadn't batted an eye at her. Although who would when she looked a downright state with cuts, bruises, dirt and other crap. She probably looked exactly how she felt.

She pushed herself up to look at the looted shelves while Jesus watched the street. Kate was almost certain that anything useful would have been long gone from this place but even so she was starving and anything would be good right about now. Her eyes scanned row after empty row: medicines, snacks, toiletries, were all cleaned out.

There was one stand that still held some stock and Kate's stomach did a summersault before a hot sweat broke across her skin. _Surely I can't be that unlucky, I'm just sick. Anyone would be sick and exhausted under these circumstances._ She laid her hand on top of one of the oblong boxes and thought she might actually pass out again.

"Streets clear, we should keep going if we want to make it back to your people before nightfall," Jesus whispered and the interruption of his voice startled her causing her to knock half of the pregnancy tests to the floor. Her heart was pounding like crazy. Suddenly she felt like she needed to be dressed. She needed to pull her hair off her face, grab a weapon and hit something. She couldn't possibly think straight in this fluffy dressing gown.

Just as Kate walked to join Jesus the roar of motorcycles filled the street, "Negan's men."

Kate peaked out of the window to see three men climbing off their bikes. Why wouldn't they just give up? She was in no mood for this shit. She followed Jesus to the back of the store to try and find another exit.

"There," Kate whispered as she shoved aside some empty boxes and began to pull on the handle of the door. "It's stuck."

"Let me try," Jesus put his whole weight against the jammed door. Eventually something gave and it flung open. The momentum of the door threw him to the ground where a walker was waiting to dive on him.

Kate looked past Jesus to the alley where there was over a dozen more filling the passage and turning their attention to the scene. She pulled the plastic covering off her kitchen knife and jammed it into the skull of the walker that was tussling with Jesus. The end of the knife snapped off when she tried to pull it free. She threw the plastic handle at the approaching dead before helping Jesus push the walker's body into the crowd.

"We gotta go out front," Jesus shouted as they scrambled through the pharmacy. The dead were following them and Kate hoped that the confusion of all the walkers in the street would be a good enough distraction to help her and Jesus escape from the men that waited outside.

Kate ran through the pharmacy door right into the arms of one of the bikers and he pushed her back at first, thinking she was a walker before a look of recognition crossed his face. Probably the same look she wore as she realised he was one of the men she had shot at. Jesus and the dead began to pour out behind her and she jumped up from the floor to escape.

"Not so fast princess, you gotta pay the piper," the man's hand wrapped around her forearm like a vice and he didn't even flinch at the outpouring of dead as he dragged her away and shouted, "boys." The other two bikers ran over to kill the walkers and Kate tried to break free from the man's grip but she was weak and he overpowered her easily.

The man held Kate tight in his arms before he laughed and said, "you better run on home Jesus, else I might tell Negan that you were helping our little friend here."

The men had slaughtered the dead and pointed their guns at Jesus while they waited for him to back away. "I'm sorry," he said to Kate and her capturer sniggered before he whispered down her ear, "you will be."

"Billy, get me something to tie her wrists with."

"Yes boss."

Jesus had disappeared by the time Billy passed his boss a cable tie, "Now you be a good girl an…"

The man slumped into her arms with a bolt sticking from his skull and together they fell down to the floor.

"Fuck," she heard Billy say before the familiar whoosh of another bolt glided through the air to get the man right through his temple.

The last man in the group looked around wildly as he started to charge over to Kate. She began to push the body off herself to get away before the sound of large crack reverberated and the man fell to Jesus' feet.

"You came back," Kate was confused as she looked at the bearded man.

"You think I went through all this trouble to walk away?" he stepped aside and pointed to an alleyway. "I found your men …"

Daryl ran out from between the buildings followed by Aaron, Eric and Abraham.

Kate stood up and felt her heart flutter as relief coursed through her body. She was so happy to see them all, but seeing Daryl was like coming home.

"Holy fuck Duchess… you look like you've been rode hard and put away wet."

Kate gave Abraham the finger before she jumped into Daryl's arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. "I love you, I love you so much Daryl Dixon." She told him between tears and kisses. "Never let me go again."

"I won't... fuckin' hell woman, I thought I'd lost ya…" the sound of Daryl's voice breaking was like a stab in the chest. She didn't want him to have to go through all that worry again, she didn't want to have to go through the worry.

"I swear I'm done with this shit. I'm never going to leave your side… you're going to be so bloody sick of me."

"I could never get sick of this…" Daryl chuckled and nuzzled his face in her hair. "Ya won't be wanting what I found then?"

"Hmm?" Kate rested her head on Daryl's shoulder.

"Ya have to get down," he let her thighs slip from his hands and set her on the ground before she realised he had her sword.

Daryl pulled it from the belt, passed it to her and a stray tear ran down her cheek. It may have been absurd but Kate had been grieving for her sword all day. It had been her constant companion for the past two years. Now, feeling the weight of it in her hand and the coolness of the grip underneath her fingers, she felt whole again. She fucking loved this sword.

"Ya got my crossbow, I got ya sword… we gotta stop doin this shit."


	57. Chapter 57

The smell of lavender, the relaxation of the heat and a full tummy lulled Kate's eyes closed as she sank even deeper into the bath. After events of the past few days it was almost unbelievable to feel as relaxed and comfortable as she did right now. The lights were down low and a thick mist of steam clung to the air. A cold bead of water dripped from her hair and ran its way along her nose. Kate had forgotten how much she loved to bathe.

The family bathroom had been Zach and Eugene's. She hadn't even stepped foot on the grey slate tiles until now. But it was hers now. Zach was gone and Eugene had left. She'd noticed his belongings were missing from his room and she didn't need to ask him the reasons why he had left, to know that this house wouldn't be the same for him without Zach.

The door nudged open and Kate opened one eye. "Carol brought ya some camomile tea," Daryl placed the mug on the edge of the tub, the steam of the cup swirling with the steam of the bathwater.

Kate nestled further under the bubbles, "I could get used to this." When they had arrived back in Alexandria he had told Rick and the others that he would see them in the morning and wrapped his fingers between hers to lead her past all the destruction into the safety of their house. She had been grateful for that. She didn't want to face the mess that lay in the streets. He had cooked dinner, cleaned her wounds and ran the bath all without prompting.

Kate didn't think she'd ever been so fussed over in her life and she could hardly believe that it was Daryl Dixon doing the fussing. When she had first met him so many months ago she'd never have guessed that he could be so attentive. He was like a mother hen; plumping cushions, fastidiously checking the temperature of her bath and not letting her lift a finger.

Daryl picked up her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it before he smirked, "good thing I'm all yours then."

Kate laughed and rolled her eyes before she ducked her entire body under the water. He wasn't saying it but she knew he had matrimony on his mind. She wouldn't have been surprised if Father Gabriel was waiting on the other side of the bathroom door with his bible in hand. Daryl's persistence had the adverse effect of making her want to dig her heels in even when she wanted to give in. She had never been able to hold her breath under water for long and when she finally came up for air she breathed in one big gulp to fill her lungs before she brushed the hair off her face. "Get in with me."

Daryl's eyes swept along her body, "if that's what ya want darlin'," he said with a roguish grin before he stood back and began to unbutton his shirt.

Kate sipped her camomile tea and sat her chin on the rim of the bath to watch him. This was exactly what she needed, to close the door on the outside world and just be with him. He had a way of making her forget the piles of walkers that lay in the streets, Negan's men and all the people that they had lost. Right now in this bathroom was their own little world.

Daryl threw his shirt to the floor and his hands moved to his belt buckle. She held his gaze for a moment but she couldn't resist looking, watching his fingers pulling the leather through the buckle then opening the button of his jeans and letting them fall to his ankles. Just the sight and anticipation of him was enough to ignite a heat that pooled between her legs. Kate looked at his face while he toed off his boots and pulled off his socks; there was no way to make that part sexy. But the way his navy blue eyes held her in an intense gaze kept her in that breathless moment of anticipation before she would feel his body entwined with her own.

Daryl grinned, "scooch ya ass over then, woman."

Kate laughed and let the heat that had been building up fall down a notch or two as she shuffled forward to make space for Daryl behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to lay on his chest before he kissed her neck and rasped, "this is nice… don't reckon I ever had a bubble bath 'fore."

Kate snorted and exclaimed, "never?" For a man who had never had a bubble bath he'd certainly been quick to pour half a bottle into her water. Maybe he had been planning on jumping in with her all along.

"You see me walkin' 'round the Piggly Wiggly an' pickin' up a bottle o'bubbles?"

"I can't even imagine you pushing a trolley."

"A cart? Yeah I ain't used one of them either… six pack in one hand, pizza in the other." As if in an effort to demonstrate his well thought out system his hands cupped her breasts and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Kate pressed her cheek to his chest, "I hated food shopping too… clothes on the other hand… I miss that… browsing, trying things on… you could have carried my bags."

Daryl sniggered, "good lord woman, ya think you've got me whipped?"

Kate cocked her head to look him in the eye and she didn't have to say a single word.

"Yeah," his mouth found hers, "ya _know_ ya have me whipped." His tongue tangled with hers and the heat began to pool again, maybe it had never left.

"I haven't forgot about what I promised you," Kate whispered as she pulled away from the kiss and lay back once more onto the comfort of his chest.

So soothing was the gentle rise and fall of his breathing and the circles that his calloused fingers traced along her stomach that she found her mind wandering. Thoughts of what she had found in the pharmacy began to work their way to the forefront of her subconscious. She tried to push away her suspicions but the erection that had been digging in her back since Daryl had climbed in the bath was a constant reminder of what they _might_ have created.

Kate pressed her body against him and the low groan that escaped his mouth snapped her from her train of thought and back into the bathtub. She had needs. What was done was already done and she certainly wasn't going to spend the rest of her life celibate. She felt her breathing deepening in tune with Daryl's and already she was aroused, she wanted him. All the exhaustion and achy limbs were nothing compared to the desire that was gripping her.

Daryl swept the wet tendrils of her hair from her back before he ran his stubble along her shoulder blade, to nibble and suck her ear lobe.

"Hmm," Kate sighed as she sank a little deeper into the water and let her legs fall apart to make way for Daryl's hand that was stroking its path ever lower. His other hand massaged one of her breasts before he squeezed her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, giving it a gentle tug. The tugging sent an expectant pulse along her body directly to the place underneath his fingertip as he stroked her.

The hot silky water smothering her skin, the feel of Daryl's naked body pressed against hers and the feel of his hands working her was driving her wild. Kate closed her eyes to enjoy every sensation and her ragged breathing stopped momentarily as his two fingers began to edge their way slowly inside. Daryl hooked her to him, brushing against her sensitive g-spot and she angled her hips to take him even deeper.

The build of her orgasm was fast as his fingers thrust the perfect rhythm and she tried to hold off the release. She wanted to hang onto the sensation for as long as possible. The way his hands felt on her in this moment made her feel like she hadn't been touched in years, every nerve ending was on fire and she never wanted it to end. "I love you Kate," Daryl breathed out the words in a sultry whisper and the way they rolled off his southern, smoky, rasp was enough to tear her apart hard.

* * *

Daryl placed his hand over Kate's heart to feel the racing rhythm as she came down from where he had launched her. The steam in the bathroom had settled onto every surface, leaving a chill behind and their bodies had sucked all of the heat out of the water leaving it lukewarm. It was time to get out, even if this was the nicest bath he'd ever had.

He let Kate flop forward like a rag doll while he climbed out of the bath and grabbed a towel. Kate watched him from the middle of the tub with her chin between her knees and a soft smile on her lips as he rubbed his body down.

"Ya gonna stay there?" he smirked and she let out a long happy sigh that made him feel a little guilty for pulling her out of the bath and standing her feet on the ice cold tiles.

Daryl wrapped a towel along Kate's back and despite the fact that he was dry there was something about the way the water glistened off her skin that made him want to get wet again. He clutched the corners of the towel and pulled her along so she was flush against him. The feeling of her soft, wet breasts on his chest were encouragement enough for his hardness to grow even fuller. It pushed against her stomach and Kate stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him. Her hands buried in the back of his hair and she was no longer a floppy rag doll, she was ready again and Daryl was more than happy to oblige.

He dropped the towel and grabbed the backs of her thighs to wrap her legs around his torso. Kate deepened the kiss and let out a gasp of excitement as he kicked open the bathroom door and carried her to the bedroom.

Since the house was all theirs Daryl left the door open and laid her on the bed. The room was dark except for the wisps of sunset creeping in through the window but he didn't need the light to explore every inch of her skin. All he needed was his hands, tongue and lips. Daryl climbed on top of Kate and in the twilight glow of their bedroom the whites of her eyes had never looked so bright and the deep chocolate brown had never looked so dark. His heart was pounding hard but he wanted to take it slow, to enjoy the moment and the closeness after they had endured so much worry and separation.

He swept the stray strand of hair from her cheek. "I forgot how beautiful you are," the thought burst from his lips as it crossed his mind and even in the half-darkness he could see her blush and a smile twitched at his lips. Tomorrow he would make arrangements with Father Gabriel.

He kissed one breast, running his tongue along the outside of the nipple before sucking it and moving onto the other. The sexy little gasps and thrusts of her hips towards his filled his balls with a desperate need. But he wasn't ready for it to be over with yet. He wanted to cover and fill every inch of her.

Daryl ran his tongue along the dip of her stomach and couldn't help but imagine what could be in there. The past day's events had contained everything that might have change his mind about marriage, babies and a future but it hadn't. Everything that had happened had only solidified what he wanted. If she wasn't carrying their baby then he felt a primal need to make sure that she would be. He'd just about lost all sense and rationality since meeting Kate so it didn't surprise him that he would be thinking about a new life when lives were ending all around them. Or maybe that was why he was thinking it. Nature was fucked up like that.

"Are you okay?" Kate panted running her fingers through his hair and he realised he'd spent a ridiculous amount of time with the side of his face pressed to her stomach. As if just leaning his ear to listen would tell him what he wanted to know.

"I just…" he thought about admitting the truth but the words caught in his throat. "I just missed ya so damn much," he sat back on his ankles and took her left leg in his hands, running them along it before he kissed all the little cuts and bruises. She looked like she'd been rolling around with a family of porcupines and earlier he had spent the best part of half an hour pulling out splinters and cleaning all her cuts. It made him think of that nine days in the woods, there had been no one there to look after him when he came home, not in the way he would care for his family.

Daryl finished kissing both Kate's legs right down to the tips of her toes where she laughed and tried to pull her foot away, "ya ticklish?" he ran one feathery lick alone the sole of her foot and she writhed around with a look of pleasure and pain that made him laugh wickedly. "I'll have to remember that," he growled as he let her foot slip from his hand and she trailed it down his chest before he flicked it away and dived on her.

His ran his nose along her soft body, breathing in the fresh soapy scent of her skin until he reached her lips and sank his tongue into her mouth. Kate's hand stroked lazily along his back before she gave his ass a squeeze. In that moment, as he fit so perfectly between her legs and his hardness brushed against the entrance of her soft wet walls, he couldn't resist any longer. Daryl reached between their bodies to guide himself inside of Kate.

The first thrust was slow, steady and it took his breath away as he let the sensation grip him like a forgotten memory, so familiar yet so new at the same time. He wrapped one arm under her body to press her chest to him as he buried his face in her neck. He wanted to be as close to Kate as possible as he ground his hips against hers in an almost tortuous slow rhythm that made his toes curl. He wanted to feel every last inch of pleasure with every meticulous thrust.

Kate's legs wrapped around his hips and he was almost there, he could feel the pressure building and clenched it down as he rolled onto his back and took her with him. Kate rested her head on his chest for a moment before she kissed him and sat upright, placing her hands on his pecks.

The waves of her hair cascaded across Kate's full breasts and she bit her lip in the way that made him crazy as she moved her body along his length and down again. The sight of her on top of him like this was one of his favourites and he drank it in as she let her head fall back and let out a long shuddery groan. The feeling of her walls tightening around him doubled the pressure that was already building up inside of him. He held her hips to feel the rhythm she was unravelling him with and then there it was, the pressure released. Kate drained every last drop of pleasure before she fell back down to his chest in ecstasy.

The pitch darkness now filled the room and Daryl had no idea how long they had lay there but the gentle sounds of her snores and her sleepy breaths soothed him as he held Kate. He wanted to savour every last moment of being with her before the morning brought the real world back in through the door.

* * *

 **A/N** \- thought i'd write a 'little' bit of smut into this chapter then this happened... hehehe got a bit carried away. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review ;)


	58. Chapter 58

"Do you want to move bodies, bury bodies or help fix the wall?" Aaron asked flatly as he passed Kate and Daryl each a pair of heavy duty gardening gloves.

Kate looked at the dead in the street with a grimace, "I guess none of the above isn't an option?"

She rolled up her sleeves, tied her hair into a high pony tail then pulled on the gloves. This was going to be a long day. When they killed the walkers outside of the walls they didn't have to worry about the mess because they didn't have to clean it up. But now there were people wiping down every nook and cranny of Alexandria as others moved the bodies out.

Kate crouched down and picked up the arms of a walker. As she waited for someone to grab hold of the other side the flesh and sinew holding the dead woman's hands to her wrists began to fall from the bone like slow cooked pork and the body slid to the floor with a sloppy rip leaving Kate holding nothing more than a pair of hands. The porridge in her stomach began to turn over and Kate tried desperately to hold back the feeling.

"Wheelbarrow," she managed to mumble as she dashed past the boys to the safety of her back garden where she promptly vomited behind a bush. _Fucking hell_ , her body wasn't doing a very good job of letting her bury her head in the sand.

Kate wiped her mouth on her sleeve before scrambling around a little raised bed of herbs to find a spring of mint to chew on. She planted her face in the leaves and the freshness smelt divine.

"Ya alright?"

Kate sat up quickly. "Just… weeding…" she grabbed a handful of the first bunch of leaves within reach and threw them over the wall.

"Weedin'?" Daryl looked unconvinced. Which was hardly surprising since who the hell weeded plants at a time like this?

Kate straightened up and took purposeful strides over to the wheelbarrow she was supposed to be retrieving. Even though she assumed it was supposed to be more of a decorative accessory to add to the cottage like feel of her garden, it was still fit for purpose despite it being baby green and covered in little pink and yellow roses.

Daryl rolled his eyes at the wheelbarrow in disapproval before he opened the shed. "Jesus, even the damn tools couldn't be spared," he exclaimed as he pulled out a powder pink shovel. He loved to complain about how feminine their house was with all the pastels, flowers and gingham adorning every fabric, wall and accessory put there by the previous inhabitant.

"Fancy," Eric grinned as she wheeled the barrow out.

"Yeah, I like to keep my dead body clean up real ladylike," Kate tried to sound upbeat but inside she was dying. The stench and sight of Alexandria was revolting. She tried not to breathe through her nose as she reached for the shovel that Daryl was holding.

He moved it out of her reach and gave her a strange look before he removed one gardening glove and put the back of his hand to her forehead, "ya sure you're alright?"

"Yes…" Kate grabbed the shovel and scooped up a pile of what could only be described as 'mess'. Blood, guts, bone and skin. All she had to do was try not to think about the 'mess', smell it or breath it in. _Easy peasy_. "Just think… the sooner this is over with the sooner we can meet each other at the end of the aisle." She needed to say whatever it took for Daryl to stop looking at her like _that_. Then it hit her, _what if he suspected too? No, he wouldn't. Would he?_

Daryl gave her arse a gentle slap and she caught the grin he was wearing as he helped Aaron pick up an intact body and began to carry it outside of the walls. Then Kate made a silent promise to avoid her favourite redneck for the rest of the day.

* * *

"That the last one?" Rick shouted, gesturing Daryl and Aaron to join him by the newly constructed wall.

"Yeah, what ya plannin' on doin' with them now?" the dead were piled high about one hundred meters outside of the wall. It was good to get them out of Alexandria but they couldn't leave them there, before long the stench would be even more overpowering than it already was.

"It's a lot to bury… a hole will take time we don't have right now and if we burn them then I'm afraid the smoke will create a signal. So for now they're just gonna have to rot out there," Rick replied before he cast a quick look to Aaron, "did you fill Daryl in on everything Jesus told us last night?"

"He did." Daryl pushed his hand against one of the new wall panels to test its strength; they had buried the foundations for the pieces deeper this time and added more reinforcements. Reg was going to lead the construction team in replacing and fortifying the entire wall over the next few weeks before they started to expand. "Negan and his Saviours sound like they're gonna be a huge fuckin' problem if they find their way here."

"I don't wanna have to pay tribute every month. Give some arseholes half of our food and meds?" Rick scoffed and cast a long look down the street "Supplies are already low. Olivia said we only have enough for a month tops."

"What do you think we should do?" Aaron asked.

"Jesus wants to form an alliance between us, his people and a third group… I think it was The Kingdom?"

"Sounds like the start of a war…" Daryl threw his gloves to the ground and reached for his cigarettes only to remember he had none.

"I don't think we have any choice," Rick's hand tapped his gun and let out a heavy sigh. "I know it isn't what people are gonna want to hear… but I'm gonna have to call a meeting."

 _War_ , how the hell would he keep Kate away from that? _Fucking hell_ , the woman had the distinct knack of putting her ass on the line whether she thought it was a good idea or not. Daryl spotted Father Gabriel in the distance. "Do ya think ya could hold off on that meetin' 'til tomorrow?"

* * *

Kate had no idea where all the boys had managed to disappear to or how long they had been gone but she was pissed. Aaron had collected Eric and left her to finish scooping up the rest of the mess. If she found out they had been having a sneaky bit of afternoon delight while she dealt with all this shit she might kill them both. Kate dropped her shovel to the ground and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Here," Jesus popped out from nowhere and passed her a bottle of water. She took a long drink before dropping down to sit on the grass. Jesus sat down next to her with his own bottle of water and an apple which Kate looked at longingly.

"I'm sorry I abandoned you last night."

"I get it… it's been a long few days. I spoke with Rick and then all I wanted to do was sleep."

Kate did a very Daryl like affirmative grunt in response.

"I actually wanted to talk to you," he brought his satchel to his knees and opened it up before rummaging inside. "I don't mean to pry but…" he said as he pulled a box out of his bag. "I saw you looking at them."

Kate snatched the box of pregnancy tests out of his hand and shoved it down the front of her shirt as her eyes darted all around for witnesses. Was the man fucking crazy? Giving the box to her in the street where anyone could have seen. The last thing she wanted was to freak Daryl out if she didn't have to. Or if she did have to freak him out she at least wanted to be prepared, and she was in no way prepared.

"I didn't realise it was top secret."

"You told someone?" Kate snapped and pointed her finger in his face.

"Of course not…We've had a few babies born at Hilltop… that's the name of my community. We have a doctor who could look after you. You're more than welcome to join us."

"Look…" Kate let out a nervous laugh. "Let's not talk about this like it's actually happening because…" She tucked her hair behind her ears, "quite frankly… it's scaring the shit out of me."

Jesus gave her a sympathetic laugh, "got it… sorry."

Kate spotted Carol heading her way and checked that the box was securely hidden before she stood up. "Just don't say anything. I don't want people worrying or knowing."

Carol stepped in front of Kate with a small smile on her face, "Daryl wanted me to give you a message." She took the note that Carol handed her and unfolded it,

" _Kate, promises are promises._

 _Meet me by the pond at 6.30 sharp._

 _Don't go changing your mind woman._

 _I love you,_

 _Mr Dixon"_

Kate looked around the street to see if she could see him before she read the note again and ran her fingers over the words. This was the first time she had ever seen Daryl's hand writing and it was as she had expected, practically illegible in its scruffiness. She laughed and butterflies filled her tummy as she pictured him sitting down to write the note. Not just any note, an invitation to their wedding. Why had she ever tried to resist him? She must have been half crazed.

"All you have to do is get ready, come on," Carol began to usher her along and Kate held the note to her chest as she practically ran home only stopping to take a sneaky peak between the houses to see the pond. Even from far away she could see Eric waving his arms around in an organisational frenzy before Carol pulled her away.


	59. Chapter 59

Kate searched her kitchen cupboards for the camomile tea Carol had brought over for her last night before she filled the kettle and put it on the hob.

"Don't you want to start getting ready?" said Carol.

"When shit goes down its customary to have a cup of tea," Kate placed two mugs on the counter and dropped in the teabags. She needed the time to reflect on her upcoming nuptials and she needed the required tea brewing and drinking time to work up the courage to pee on a stick.

Kate found a bag of trail mix and tore it open to shove a handful in her mouth. If she didn't feel sick she felt half starved. She could feel Carol's eyes boring a hole through her from the opposite end of the breakfast bar and dropped the bag in between them so they could share but Carol's stare never faltered. "You look like you want to say something…" Kate said.

"I'm just wondering if you're sure… you can't change your mind and back out once you've committed yourself."

"What makes you think I'll change my mind?" _Bloody hell_ , Carol sounded just like Daryl.

"I've seen the way you are, wilful, impulsive, hot tempered…" Carol scorned.

"You really threw some sugar on that," Kate snatched the bag of nuts off the counter and turned her back to the other woman as her breathing became agitated. Did Carol think Daryl was making a mistake in marrying her?

The shrill whistle of the kettle echoed around the kitchen and Kate poured the water into the cups although her wilful, impulsive and hot tempered side had half a mind to throw Carol's cup out of the window.

"I just don't want you letting him down. When I think what Daryl was like when I first met him… it means a lot that he would ask you to marry him and arrange a wedding like this…"

"I'm well aware of what Daryl's like," Kate said more tartly than she had wanted to. Who the hell was marrying the man here, her or Carol? She felt her temper flaring even fiercer and tried to swallow it down between sips of red hot tea, all the while Carol gave her 'the look'. Like she was right, like she was waiting for Kate to self-combust and ignite the tension that had filled the room in a matter of seconds.

The door swung open with a bang and Erin bounded in with a dress draped over her arms and a big grin. "Olivia helped me find it in the clothing stockpiles. Eric said you weren't allowed to get married in a pair of scruffy old jeans."

"Daryl's a good man," Carol said gently. "My husband was… I just hope you know how lucky you are."

Kate felt some of the tension fizzle away. Carol was right in a way, Kate knew she wasn't perfect and she had fucked up several times when it came to Daryl. "I know how good he is."

"Why are you girls so serious? This is the most joyful thing that has happened in forever… Everyone is in a flurry of excitement out there," Erin said.

"They are?" Kate asked.

"Of course… a chance to wear some of the nice clothes that were hanging in these closets is a welcome opportunity," Erin hung the dress on the door frame of the kitchen so they could admire it. Kate felt nervous with excitable butterflies replacing the last of the tension. She might not have been a perfect person but Daryl loved her and that was really all that mattered.

"It's beautiful," Kate wiped her hand on her scruffy jeans before lightly tracing her fingers over the floaty tea length cocktail dress. It was the colour of champagne and the thousands of little beads that were scattered around the fabric caught the light like flecks of fairy dust. It was glamourous like it could have been hung in the wardrobe of some 1950's movie star. Kate couldn't wait to slip it over her head and twirl around the room like Cinderella.

"Go get cleaned up, we haven't much time," Carol pushed her towards the stairs and Kate ran up them two at a time until she was in her bathroom and locking the door shut.

She took one big breath and pulled the box of pregnancy tests out of her shirt then sat it in front of the bathroom mirror. She couldn't take her eyes off the box as she pulled off her clothes and stepped one foot into the shower. There was a war raging in her mind between curiosity and terror. She let the latter win as she skid across the tiles, grabbed the box and shoved it in the laundry basket for tomorrow, or the next day, or never.

* * *

Daryl stared at the light reflecting in the pond as he tried to relax. The sun was going to be setting soon and this was his favourite time of the day. He opened the top button of the shirt that Aaron had lent him and let out a long agitated groan.

"You okay?" Rick smiled. "Changed your mind? Not too late brother…" he slapped him on the back.

"I'm just fuckin' dying here… can't remember the last time I had a smoke…" the nervous anticipation was making his craving even more intense and he felt like he might tear off his own skin. Maybe it was time to quit. Cigarettes were a pain to get hold of and he knew the almost Mrs Dixon disapproved even though she'd never said as much.

Daryl turned to look at all his wedding guests happily chatting away and felt his anxiety creep up a little more. _Jesus, what if she changed her mind?_ He started to worry that he should have discussed the wedding with her _before_ getting everything organised. The woman was a damn stubborn mule when it came to… everything.

"Seeing everyone like this makes me realise how much we needed this today, after everything…" Rick let out a small sigh and Daryl knew the man was torn up about losing Jessie and Sam, he didn't know exactly how it had happened but he knew it hadn't been pretty and there was no easy way to talk about stuff like that.

"It's nice to remember that we can have life as well as death," Aaron smiled before glancing over his shoulder and whispering, "seeing all of this is making me think I should… propose to Eric."

"Hell yeah ya should, I never saw anyone get so damn excited 'bout formal wear," Daryl laughed and like the speak of the devil Eric began to saunter down the aisle like it already was his wedding.

"Here," Eric passed Daryl an entire pack of smokes and even if they were cherry flavour he could have kissed him. He suddenly forgot all about the idea of quitting as he tore open the packet like it contained the cure to the virus. He held a precious cigarette between his teeth, patted down his trousers to find his zippo and lit the stick to take a long desperate drag. _Holy fuck_ , the relief was almost better than sex.

"What happened to your tie?" Eric exclaimed jabbing him in the chest.

"Damn thing was choking me… I threw it into the pond," Daryl knew he had to dispose of the tie properly if he didn't want Eric forcing the thing back around his neck. He knew the reason he had asked for Eric's help was because he had a knack of throwing together a party in a pinch but by god, the man was testing the fucking limit. Still, he looked back at the guests sitting on their 'bring your own chairs' and was grateful for his help.

"That was an Armani tie…" Eric shook his head in annoyance like anyone gave a shit about fancy ties nowadays and Daryl could see Aaron biting his cheeks to hold back the grin that was threating his face.

"How long has it been?" Daryl asked for what felt like the hundredth time since Abraham had volunteered to go fetch the bridal party.

Rick checked his watch, "thirty five minutes. Lori was an hour and a half late for our wedding."

 _Fucking hell_. He'd give his bride 10 more minutes, then he'd carry her ass here himself. _Unless she doesn't want to come_. He pulled at the collar of his shirt, stubbed out the end of the cigarette and suddenly needed another.

* * *

Carol and Erin helped Kate into her dress so she wouldn't spoil her hair that they had painstakingly tugged and teased into a loose and breezy bun complete with fresh cut flowers from the garden.

"Let's get going…" Erin tugged Kate's hand.

"I'll follow you down in a minute…" She smiled and when the other women had left the room she admired her dress in the mirror and twirled around like a mad woman. She would have married Daryl in a pair of jeans but the dress was infinitely better.

Kate hopped down the stairs to find Abraham waiting in the hallway, dressed in a shirt, tie and navy trousers. "I told the other ladies to go on ahead… I figured you'd need somebody to give you away" he held his hand out to guide her down the last two steps.

"I'm glad it's you…" Kate said softly before adding with a grin, "you annoy me far too much to give me any time to even contemplate getting nervous."

"All part of my charm." Abraham rubbed his hand across his eyes and whispered quieter than she had ever heard him speak, "you look mighty fine Duchess."

"Are you okay?" _Was he crying?_

"I got a bit of grit in my eye…" he wiped his face and Kate tried not to react but they both knew it wasn't grit. "Just thinking about my daughter… Becca. Every father thinks about walking their little girl down the aisle. I know… I saw your photographs… I know you understand."

Kate's heart plummeted. _He knew about Harry?_ She had the urge to run back upstairs until the sight of Abrahams red rimmed eyes gave her the sudden morbid realisation that she wasn't the only pitiful _'freak'_ with a dead child. Everyone had lost a child, spouse, sibling, parents, friends and in most cases all of the above. They were all in the same shitty boat.

Kate wrapped her arms around Abraham and pressed her face to his chest where they held each other in a comfortable silence. It was too painful to say much on the subject but sharing the grief was healing in a way she hadn't foreseen. Maybe it was time to put her pictures in frames and stop pretending it hadn't happened.

"Aw shit… I'm sorry Duchess I shouldn't be talking about this right now."

"Don't be… if you don't want walk me down the aisle…"

"I do… I love you like my own kin. Just sometimes… being happy feels like a double-cross."

"I know," Kate whispered as she fixed his tie and wiped away the errant tears from her eyes. "What about you and Sasha? I'm no love expert… but I saw you both giving each other the eye…" she forced a laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Abraham chuckled as he entwined her arm with his, "I'm working on it. Maybe your groom can give me some pointers."

Kate snorted as she reached for her sword that was nestled in between the door frame and the wall.

"What in tarnation are you gonna do with that? Run Daryl through like a goddamn preying mantis?"

Kate let out a small laugh, "I guess you're right."

"Sure as shit I'm right… Eric would burst a blood vessel if I walk you down the aisle with that damn blade over your dress."

Abraham pulled her from the house. It wasn't far to walk to the pond but it was far enough that by the time the guests and the mishmash of chairs came into view her heart was pounding like crazy. Everyone stood up and all eyes turned to look at her and she hesitated. Everything Carol had said shot to the forefront of her brain. What if she messed everything up?

"He's waiting for you," Abraham whispered and encouraged her along with a gentle tug.

* * *

All the standing guests blocked his view and the moments before Kate appeared from behind the crowd seemed to stretch for hours. His palms were sweating like crazy and he tugged at the collar of his shirt to try and help his breathing but it was useless. Rick's hand wrapped around his shoulder and gave it a firm reassuring squeeze. Waiting for her was making him more anxious than he could remember being in a long time.

Kate walked into view and he felt a dopey grin spreading across his face as his breathing evened out to an almost normal rate. She was here, she hadn't jilted him and she was pretty as a picture with her big brown eyes and flowers in her hair. Then it hit him, this was his wedding day. _Fucking hell_ , he was going to be a married man. Sure, he'd asked her, he'd done all but beg her but now it was real.

He wondered what Merle would have thought about him getting hitched. Miss Uppity and his big brother would have probably butted heads if they would have ever met. Merle was hardly the most subtle person on the planet and Kate had her wild no shit taking redneck side that his brother would have loved to tease out of her at every opportunity. _Goddamn_ , it would have been a hell of a lot of cussing, Daryl let out a small laugh at the idea. Even though Merle was a huge asshole he was the person that was most missing from this day.

Abraham handed Kate to Daryl's outstretched hand and his eyes swept over her dress then back to her hair. She looked _so fancy_ and he couldn't believe that this woman was here for him. Maybe he should have kept the tie on after all.

* * *

Daryl looked so clean and handsome in his white dress shirt and grey trousers. Even though there were walkers and all number of horrors just outside of the walls there was a small slice of heaven by the side of this pond with the pink sky and the warm glow of love she felt filling her from top to toe.

Gabriel began the service and led them through their vows while they grinned at each other like lovesick teenagers. It wasn't until he was saying "Daryl has prepared a reading," that Kate snapped out of her drunk in love daze.

Her favourite redneck cleared his throat and held his hand towards Rick who stepped forward and passed him a well-worn book. Daryl almost looked like he was trembling as he held it in his hands and pulled at the collar of his shirt. Kate cast a long look to all the people watching while she waited with bated breath to hear what Mr Dixon had prepared. _Bloody hell_ , she hadn't prepared anything.

"I read your favourite book…" Daryl eventually managed to say and held up the book so she could see the front cover of 'Pride and Prejudice.'

Kate's jaw actually dropped in surprise. Daryl was a man full of surprises.

"Can't say I understood most of it, except there was this one part that made me think of us…" her favourite redneck opened the book to where he had folded down a page and gave a nervous glance to their guests before he began to read in his thick smoky southern rasp, "I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation… I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun."

How many times had she read that passage and swooned at Mr Darcy confessing his love for Elizabeth and now here was Mr Dixon reading it to her. She felt like she might burst into a thousand pieces with butterflies fluttering madly around her body.

"Ya once asked me if it was love at first sight an'… I think it was... I can't remember knowin' ya and not bein' obsessed… there was somethin' about ya that I couldn't get enough of and I still can't… don't reckon I ever will," his intense blue eyes held her gaze and she began to melt into a puddle.

* * *

When Daryl had found the perfect engagement ring to propose with he had also taken to carrying around the copy of pride and prejudice in the hopes it would hold the key to how he should ask Kate to marry him. When he found a moment he would pour over the words for inspiration, after all it was her favourite book and he found himself feeling like he was taking a sneak peek inside of her head. Elizabeth rejecting Darcy's first proposal had been a somewhat comforting coincidence and he felt a certain comradery to the man who would chase after a stubborn woman.

Daryl passed the book back to Rick then nodded to Gabriel for him to continue. Kate was all wide eyed and speechless and he couldn't help the satisfied grin on his face. All the pain of reading the damn book was now well and truly worth it.

"May I have the rings?" Gabriel asked and Daryl slapped his hand to his forehead. _Shit, how the hell had he forgotten about wedding bands?_

"I should have brought my sword," Kate gave a wonky smile and he remembered her crazy Saxon wedding plans with a wry smile.

"Take ours," a voice called from the crowd. Mrs Miller jumped up and began making her way to the front. "Mine and Bobs…"

"We can't take your wedding rings," Kate protested.

"Nonsense dear we've had a long and happy marriage and I always wanted to pass them on to one of my Grandbabies," Mrs Millar placed one ring in Kate's hand and the other in Daryl's. "It'll make me happy to see you two young'uns wearing them."

 _Young'uns?_ He couldn't recall the last time someone had thought of him like that and let out a surprised laugh before he took Mrs Millers hand, "thank you ma'am." This woman barely knew them both and she was giving them such a special gift. Daryl felt a strange feeling sweep over him, he suddenly felt more than ever that this community was a family, whether they had known each other the past two years or two months.

Mrs Millar embraced Kate in a tight squeeze before she hopped back down the aisle to the waiting arms of her husband amongst the approving smiles of the other guests. Daryl thought about being as old as the Millers and having grandbabies to pass their rings down to.

Gabriel blessed the rings and Daryl slipped Kate's onto her finger with ease. She was a little less gentle and managed it over his knuckle with a little elbow grease and a nervous giggle. It was his first and only piece of jewellery that he had ever or would ever wear and he loved the way the heavy gold band felt on his finger.

"You may kiss the bride," Gabriel said and it was the bit Daryl had been waiting for since he had seen Kate at the end of the aisle. That last little line that meant they were married and she was all his. He placed his hands on her waist and could feel Kate stepping onto the tips of her toes. _Jesus Christ she was so fucking pretty_. Her body pressed to his and the sweet vanilla scent of her intoxicated him as their lips came together perfectly in a soft, gentle, wedding appropriate kiss. Then he looked in her big brown eyes and couldn't resist whispering, "I love ya _Mrs Dixon_."

* * *

 **A/N:** I wanted to get this posted on Valentine's Day but it proved more difficult to write than I had anticipated! Seriously… more stressful than planning a real wedding! Hope you all enjoyed it and it wasn't _too_ cheesy :)

Also big thank you to everyone who has favourite and started following my story over the last few chapters! And a HUGE thanks to everyone who has left feedback! :)


	60. Chapter 60

Almost everyone piled into Aaron and Eric's house for a small wedding reception. There was no booze or food to be handed out but there was music and everyone shared stories of Kate, Daryl, first loves, marriage and everything in between. Aaron recounted how he had met Eric when the world had started falling apart and Rick spoke about Lori.

It was nice to share these happy stories after so many days of heartache. Love was as universal as breathing, even if the struggles they had faced these past two years had made it all too easy to forget about its existence. It may have been Kate and Daryl's wedding day but there was a feeling of life starting anew for everyone. They had cleared the streets of the dead and even with the threat of Negan, the wolves or other bands of plunderers they were a community intent on living instead of merely surviving and they had spent the last days fighting for that feeling.

By the time the clock chimed midnight and marked the day officially over almost everyone had said their goodbyes and now it was only Aaron and Eric who kissed Daryl and Kate in turn as they urged them out of the house.

"Thanks for everythin'," Daryl said for what must have been the tenth time in as many minutes. He was so grateful that the men, his unlikely friends, had helped him organise everything today. It had been as close to perfect as he could have imagined it.

"Just remember us when you're picking out godfathers and baby names," Eric grinned and Aaron pulled him in to the house with a small apologetic shake of the head.

Daryl felt his cheeks burning but he pretended he didn't hear what Eric had said as he weaved his fingers with Kate's and walked her home. Tonight was about tonight and tomorrow could hold off for a little while longer. His eyes swept over his new wife, wisps of hair were falling haphazardly from hair pins, her dress was a little crumpled and until this moment he hadn't realised she was wearing her 'ass kicking' boots and not whatever it was women wore on their wedding day.

"Mrs Dixon… you're the prettiest bride I ever saw," he declared as he twirled her under his arm. Her dress caught the air and fanned all around her in a spellbinding movement that made him twirl her again. It was a dress for dancing in and he realised he hadn't shared a first dance with his new wife as he pulled her into position. One of her hands in his, her other on his chest and his other at her waist. There was no music except for the light breeze that was rustling through the trees and whistling it's melancholy tune down the moonlit street.

"I think we might be the happiest people in the entire world," Kate whispered with a smile and she was right. It really didn't get better than this, they needed to enjoy and savour every last minute of it. It wasn't every day that a beautiful woman promised to love you for the rest of her life. He was still unsure how he had ever got so lucky. His hand glided from her waist so his thumb could trace along her cheekbone below her big brown eyes. Daryl remembered to let out the breath he was holding as his thumb moved from her cheek to her bottom lip, then he kissed her. He kissed her in the way he had wanted to kiss her since they had said 'I do'. He kissed her in complete earnest that would have been inappropriate in front of all their guests.

Kate wrapped her hand around his neck and backed him up until he could feel the rough, cold bricks of a wall through his shirt. She reached down between them and ran her hand along the stiff pressure that was already building. He considered someone catching them in the street like this but the worry was fleeting. Like always he was her willing slave, if she wanted to make love in the street then to hell with decorum.

Daryl pulled back one of her dress straps and kissed the silky soft skin that it revealed while his other hand pressed her against him and the pull below grew even more intense, he needed more, he needed it all.

A sexy little laugh tickled his ear before Kate tugged herself free from his tight grasp. She bit her lip in the way that made him crazy and sank slowly into the shadows between the houses like she was a figment of his imagination. He might have thought that this was all a dream except he would have never thought of something so fantastic.

Kate half ran, half skipped and twirled always just out of his grasp until they were almost home. She let him catch her like it had always been and he supposed it always would be, on her terms. When Daryl had her in his hands he couldn't keep them off her. He kissed her neck and every part that his lips could find while they stumbled the rest of the way home wrapped up in each other.

The Dixon's reached the front steps of their house and Daryl swept Kate off her feet as they noticed the handmade 'Just married' sign which was taped to the front door.

Mrs Dixon nestled her head against his chest and let out a small laugh as he nudged the front door open and carried his bride through the threshold, to the petal covered stairs where their lips began to crash together once more. Kate slipped slowly from his hands that were exploring every curve of her body as she lay with abandon on the stairs.

He groaned and kissed the tops of her breasts which were heaving out of the bodice with all her frantic breaths. _Jesus_ , he could hardly wait to consummate this marriage.

Kate seemed as eager as he was as she grasped him closer and unzipped the fly and then the button of his trousers and pushed them down his hips to let gravity take care of the rest. His fingers snuck under the frothy layers of her skirt and hooked into her panties. He pulled them down her legs, over her shoes and appreciated the white lace before he threw them over his shoulder.

He was desperate now. Would it would feel different when he was making love with his wife or would it would feel the same, either way he wanted to feel it all night. His hands swept along Kate's thighs, hitching her dress with them and opening her up to him where he joined his body with hers for what felt like the first time. Maybe it _was_ different now. Kate was the last woman he would ever do this with.

Kate hooked her legs around his waist and he wanted to consummate this marriage all over their fancy house. The idea of a month with nothing but sex and honey was more appealing than ever.

Daryl kissed her chest and his tongue sank into the dip of her neck with every frantic, heated thrust until he was pulling her apart and she was pulling him with her. He nuzzled his face between her breasts as he caught his breath and revelled in the calm that had replaced the desperation. He suddenly felt a little guilty, unbridled fucking in the middle of the stairs was hardly what he had been planning for part one of their wedding night. But then there was always part two…

* * *

Kate could only remember thinking she wanted to stay awake all night so that their wedding day never ended but the heavy feeling and the comfort of Daryl's arms had betrayed her best intentions and now the light was filling the room with a new day. She watched Daryl sleeping peacefully before she crept into the bathroom and locked the door.

Yesterday she hadn't felt prepared to face the contents of the little white box but today she was a married woman and even if she didn't want to face it she needed to. So now she was hopping madly from foot to foot as she dug through the laundry basket.

Kate tore open the box and out dropped the two tests. Even though she had been pregnant before she'd never actually taken a pregnancy test. Which was sort of bizarre when she thought about it. She checked the instructions in a desperate bladder squeezing frenzy before peeing on the little white stick.

 _Right_ , Kate clicked the lid back on and looked at the leaflet once more. It was supposed to take three minutes but it took less than one for the faint lines to start to show and confirm what deep down she already knew. By the time she had zoned back in from a panic attack the two dark blue lines were as bold and bright as they could possibly be. _Shit, fuck, oh my god… this is real_.

Kate knew it could happen. With the amount of sex they had managed in between all of the mayhem of course it would happen… eventually. She had just assumed it would take more time. Much more time. Neither of them where particularly young and their daily stress levels were through the roof. In fact as morbid and pessimistic as it was, she had assumed that she would likely die before it became a problem. People could take years to conceive. More than half the world had died in less time than that.

Kate thought of all the physical fights she had partaken in in the past few days and it was almost unbelievable to think that she had been growing a baby through all of it. She ran her shaky hands through her hair and sank into the floor.

"Ya alright?" Daryl's voice called as his jigged the handle of the door. She realised she had no idea how long she had been sitting in the corner of the bathroom contemplating their baby.

"I'm fine," Kate's voice came out all shrill as she began to stuff the test back into box. Then she paused, what was she going to do? Hide it? Pretend it wasn't happening? All of a sudden she realised she wanted him to know, he would make it right. Daryl always knew how to make her feel better.

Kate opened the door and Daryl stood leaning on the doorframe in just his boxers and a sleepy smile. He looked so happy and adorable with his ruffled hair but despite that she had the strong urge to punch him square in the nose. Men got it so bloody easy. Instead she took a deep breath and blurted, "I'm pregnant."

* * *

The words registered in Daryl's head slower than he had thought they would considering how much he had been thinking about the subject. _Pregnant_ , a baby, his baby, his eyes looked to her flat stomach and imagined it round, "you're sure?"

Kate handed him a test and he stared at the two lines, a baby and a wife. _Fucking hell, this was real_. It was everything he never realised he wanted. A grin lit up his face before he looked to Kate who was all wide eyed and on the verge of a typical crazy ass meltdown.

"Do ya think we'll have a boy or a girl?" Daryl gushed and wrapped her in his arms.

"You don't seem too surprised…"

"I was kinda hopin'," he admitted with some trepidation. Having a baby probably wasn't the best idea that had ever entered his head and he was almost certain she wouldn't be feeling half as thrilled as he was but that didn't matter. Kate would come around in her own stubborn time like she always did. Even if it was foolish to actually want a child he figured someone had to repopulate the planet and it might as well be him and his sword wielding warrior wife, even if she was slightly neurotic.

Daryl sat Kate on the edge of the bed and he kneeled beside her, pressing the side of his face to her stomach. "How ya feelin'?" he whispered looking up to her big brown eyes and wondering what colour their babies eyes would be.

"Sick, terrified… starving… all I can think about is eating…" Kate closed her eyes and shook her head with a small smile before whispering, "squirrel," like it was a dirty word.

Daryl snorted. Squirrel meat was definitely not her favourite food. Now he was without a doubt that she had a mini Dixon setting up shop in her belly. "Ya want me to catch ya one Mrs Dixon?" he smirked. This was too good to be true. He liked that his pregnant wife was asking for something only he could provide. Made him feel manly.

 _Pregnant wife,_ he actually laughed out loud at the words. Only at the end of the world would he finally start living a normal life. House, wife, baby, he'd seen people who he had grown up with do all of those things while he stayed on the outside of normal society with nothing but Merle and his crossbow.

Daryl kissed her belly, "waitin' for this baby is gonna take forever."

"You won't be saying that when it's here."

"Then I'll be sayin' lets have another…" Daryl teased and Kate's eyes went even wider before the sound of knocking at the front door distracted them both from family planning.

"Rise and shine newlyweds… everyone's meeting at Ricks," Eric shouted after he let himself into the house.

"Can I tell?" Daryl asked excitedly as he pulled on his pants.

"Not yet…" Kate replied as she grabbed her clothes. "I don't want people worrying."

"People should be worryin'… I don't want ya to lift a finger or do any more of ya stupid shit," he suddenly realised she had be carrying his baby while she was having gun fights and almost getting crushed in the quarry. It was bad enough that she would do that sort of thing on her own but she definitely couldn't do it with their baby on board.

* * *

All of Alexandria squashed into the Grimes house to discuss Jesus, Negan, the shortage of food and everything in between. With Deanna gone Rick was the official leader and nobody contested it. He made the decision to take a group with him to check out Hilltop and everyone agreed. It was decided that Michonne, Glenn and Morgan would join Rick and Jesus to scout out the new community and everyone else would stay behind to continue reinforcing their little town.

Kate spent the entire meeting at Rick's house nibbling on a little bag of raisins and trying to still her racing heart. She could barely even listen to the discussions of Hilltop, Negan and the food shortage. By the time the meeting was ending she was just glad that neither she nor Daryl was included in the plan to visit Jesus' home and broker some sort of trade deal. Ordinarily it would have been exactly the kind of thing she would have wanted to be part of but today she was more interested in hiding under the duvet and eating until she was fit to burst.

Daryl offered to help Rick prepare the truck that he was going to be taking over to hilltop and Kate decided to have a talk with Denise. Jesus had told her that they had a doctor at hilltop that could deliver her baby but Alexandria was her home. It was where Zach was and it was where she had married Daryl. She didn't want to have to move unless absolutely necessary.

"Are you okay?" the blonde doctor gave her a curious look when Kate began to walk alongside her on her way back to the infirmary and she realised that this was probably the first conversation they had shared besides passing pleasantries.

"I wanted to know if… you've ever delivered…" Kate cleared her throat before she managed "a baby."

"Yes… a long time ago…" the realisation of what Kate was implying must have sunk in as Denise's eyes fell to her stomach just like Daryl's had done. The doctor led her into the infirmary, past the bed where Ron was laying unconscious, to a plastic chair where she said "sit."

Kate knew that there was not much that Denise could do in terms of prenatal care besides say something along the lines of, 'eat healthy and do nothing too strenuous'. Although better advice would be to eat whatever you could get your hands on and do whatever it took to stay alive. This baby was in her body and no matter what complications that might arise there was next to nothing that anyone could do about it. She felt more medieval than ever.

* * *

Daryl checked the engine of the van that Rick was going to be using for his expedition, "thanks for not sayin' anythin' to Kate." Before the meeting he'd pulled Rick aside and told him that the new Mrs Dixon was expecting a baby. Partly for practical reasons since he had asked Rick not to include either of them on any missions without checking with Daryl first but also because he could hardly keep the news to himself.

"Does that mean we're gonna have to manage without you for a while then?" Rick said.

"I dunno, I just didn't feel ready to leave so soon after everythin' that's happened and I can't take my eyes off the woman without 'er gettin' into trouble."

"Well at least I can leave Judith in safe hands when I leave today… you two need the practice…" Rick patted his back with a grin.

"Practice with what?" Glenn asked as he threw a bag into the back of the van.

"His new baby," Rick said.

"Maggie," Glenn shouted and waved her over.

"Kate told me not to tell anyone," Daryl tried to say at the same time Glenn told Maggie and Maggie told Eric who had popped up from nowhere. _Goddammit_ , the cat was well and truly out of the bag now. "Maggie and Glenn are expectin' a baby too…" he volunteered to all who could hear since they were so keen on spreading his news.

Rick pointed to Sasha and Abraham who were looking very cosy as they took watch over the wall. "I'm gonna have to put a stop to all of this or all my best fighters are gonna be decommissioned," he laughed.

"Nah… I just wanna take a break this one time…" Daryl promised.

"I was talking about the ladies…" Rick grinned and shut the hood of the van.

"Have ya met my wife?" Daryl loved the way 'wife' rolled off his lips like he'd been saying it all his life. "I'm might have to tie the woman to a damn rockin' chair to get 'er to take it easy."

* * *

As Kate left the infirmary she ran into Carol who grabbed her forearm to stop her before she stared at her stomach for the longest time, "I always knew… that a child would be the love of Daryl's life."

"He told you?" Kate asked in surprise.

"Not personally… everybody's talking about it."

She felt like killing Daryl Dixon and his big mouth. It wouldn't have hurt him to respect her wishes for privavcy for at least one bloody day while she wrapped her head around the situation and now everybody knew. She could just picture it now, Erin and Eric fussing and making her crazy for the next 7 months starting from today. She stormed past Carol to go and find her new husband and give him a bloody good bollocking.

Kate marched through the garden with long angry strides before flinging open the kitchen door. She spotted Daryl standing by the stove with a smile that quelled the rage like sand on a smouldering fire. Then she noticed the small pile of squirrels which were stacked up neatly on the counter. She'd wanted squirrels and he had hunted her some squirrels, _just like that._

A happy little laugh caught her attention and Kate craned her neck to see Judith playing with some toy cars on the floor at his feet. Suddenly she couldn't even remember why she had been so cross.

"Ya hungry Mrs Dixon?"

"Starving," Kate knelt down and ruffled Judith's soft as silk hair before she hopped up on the counter to watch Daryl. Even when gutting an animal he was irresistible to her since by now she had fallen well and truly in complete and utter love with him.

Kate tore her eyes away from her favourite redneck to look through the window and watch the sun setting on their first full day of married life. Maybe it was the promise of a good meal or something intangible but Kate had the distinct feeling that everything was going to be alright. Not just tonight or tomorrow, but always. Her hand found the place where their baby was growing and she thought about the first time she had ever met Daryl Dixon. If their paths hadn't crossed that day then she might have never made it home.

The End

* * *

A/N- Like all things this too must come to an end. I toyed with the idea of writing the next story arc and following the comics but decided against it since it felt like Kate and Daryl's story was over now. I also wanted to say one last thank you to everyone who has read the whole thing, I hope you have enjoyed it. I liked writing it and I especially loved reading all the comments that have been left over the course of the past few months. I honestly don't think I could have made it to the end without them so thank you! I would love to hear people's final thoughts, please take the time to leave a comment :)

On a side note, if anyone is interested I always think of the song 'You're all I have' by Snow Patrol as Kate and Daryl's song. Out of all the songs I listened to for inspiration it's the one that I kept going back to. The line "a welcome arrow through the heart," is so fitting for Daryl!

Thanks again for reading, reviewing and adding my story to your favorites! xxx


	61. Authors Note

p class="MsoNormal"strongA/N/strong- For anyone that's interested, I've started an AU version of this story. You can find it on my profile and it's called 'Eight Weeks in Georgia' :)/p 


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